With an emphatic ceremony celebrating the past and the future, the XXII Olympic Winter Games came to a close. The flame was put out—by giant stuffed animals crying fake tears, no less—and now the eyes of the world turn to the next great sporting venture. The Olympic cycle will next stop in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the Summer Games in 2016, a short turnaround for Brazilians as they host the FIFA World Cup this coming summer. In numerous ways, the 2014 Olympics were a success and revolutionized the Winter Games, both from a sporting and political standpoint. In countless other ways, however, questions remain not only about Sochi and its future but also about the Olympic system as a whole.