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Here's How Russia Made Fun of Itself in the Olympics Closing Ceremonies
Performers recreate the fifth Olympic ring that didn't open in the opening ceremony during the closing ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014, in Sochi, Russia. (AP/David J. Phillip )

Here's How Russia Made Fun of Itself in the Olympics Closing Ceremonies

"It was good to see Russians laugh at themselves."

In the closing ceremonies for the Sochi Olympics Sunday, Russia gave itself a little poke, making fun of an embarrassing lighting glitch that occurred during the opening ceremonies a couple weeks earlier.

Russian event organizers showed they could laugh at themselves when they orchestrated dancers in silver costumes form four rings while one group remained a closed clump. The dancers in the clump waited a few seconds and then formed a ring of their own, making the Olympics' five-ring logo and drawing laughs from the crowd.

Performers recreate the fifth Olympic ring that didn't open in the opening ceremony during the closing ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014, in Sochi, Russia. (AP/David J. Phillip ) Performers recreate the fifth Olympic ring that didn't open in the opening ceremony during the closing ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014, in Sochi, Russia. (AP/David J. Phillip )

Performers create the Olympic rings during the closing ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014, in Sochi, Russia. (AP/Ivan Sekretarev) Performers create the Olympic rings during the closing ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014, in Sochi, Russia. (AP/Ivan Sekretarev)

"I thought it was great. It was good to see Russians laugh at themselves. It was very funny," an Olympic spectator told the Associated Press.

During the opening ceremonies for the 22nd Winter Games on Feb. 7, a snowflake configuration that was supposed to open into the five rings of the Olympic logo failed to work properly. One of the illuminated snowflakes didn't expand.

One of the Olympic rings fails to open during a portion of the show where snowflakes were supposed to transition to rings during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Friday, Feb. 7, 2014. (AP/Ivan Sekretarev) One of the Olympic rings fails to open during a portion of the show where snowflakes were supposed to transition to rings during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Friday, Feb. 7, 2014. (AP/Ivan Sekretarev)

One of the rings forming the Olympic rings fails to open during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Friday, Feb. 7, 2014. (AP/Robert F. Bukaty) One of the rings forming the Olympic rings fails to open during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Friday, Feb. 7, 2014. (AP/Robert F. Bukaty)

After the gaffe, Russian television didn't air the live version but footage from a previous dress rehearsal that showed all five rings forming perfectly and erupting into fireworks.

In a combo of frame grabs taken from Russian television, five snowflakes float together in Fisht Stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Friday, Feb. 7, 2014. During the live ceremony, the fifth ring failed to fully open to create the Olympics rings. On Russian television, producers inserted footage from a dress rehearsal when all five rings joined together and erupted in pyrotechnics. (AP) In a combo of frame grabs taken from Russian television, five snowflakes float together in Fisht Stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Friday, Feb. 7, 2014. During the live ceremony, the fifth ring failed to fully open to create the Olympics rings. On Russian television, producers inserted footage from a dress rehearsal when all five rings joined together and erupted in pyrotechnics. (AP)

Watch the AP's recap of the closing ceremonies:

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach declared the games an "extraordinary success." The Sochi Olympics cost $51 billion, topping even Beijing's estimated $40 billion layout for the 2008 Summer Games.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

(H/T: Gawker)

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