Russia pokes fun at ring failure in Olympic closing ceremony

This year’s Olympic closing ceremony included a nod to the mechanical ring failure that opened the games, an unexpectedly playful reference to what many had seen as an embarrassing incident. In the closing ceremony, a group of dancers mimicked the expanding rings, only to see the fifth group of dancers remain closed in a parody of the stalled fifth ring. Unlike the opening ceremony, the ring eventually did expand, completing the Olympic logo as the accompanying music reached a crescendo. “Will it work? Of course it will work,” one BBC announcer commented. “That’s a very, very nice touch.”