Russia Wins 1st Gold Medal in Sochi in Team Figure Skating

In an arena filled with waving flags, the coronating presence of President Vladimir V. Putin, bouquets of tossed flowers and a whiff of scandal, Russia won its first gold medal Sunday as host of the Sochi Olympics, taking first place in a new team figure skating competition and reasserting its prominence in the marquee sport of the Winter Games.In no discipline did they finish worse than third in compiling 67 points heading into the free dance,to 56 for Canada and 50 for the Americans. It was a rout built on the experience of Plushenko,the consummate showman who now owns medals from four Olympics his two gold and two silver are a record for modern-era figure skaters.It was capped by the freshness of the 15-year- Lipnitskaia,who donned a Russia baseball cap when she was done with her sublime tour of the ice,sat with her triumphant teammates and grinned like the school kid she is.Jason and I were definitely a little nervous,said Gold, who finished 2nd to Lipnitskaia in a five-woman field.Our parents told us that neither of us did team sports because we didn't like having other people rely on us but also having that extra pressure.Skating to the Best of Plushenko,the Russian took adoring fans on a trip down memory lane. There were his many, many tangos.And Plushenko delighted in it all, preening and mugging for the camera. This was his night, and he was going to savor it.He was grinning as he went into his final spin,and he took several long looks around the arena when his music finished, soaking it all in. He gave a thumbs up to the roaring crowd.