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Seeing Sochi Day 2: Our favorite Olympics photos

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Cross-Country Women's Skiathlon
Marit Bjoergen of Norway takes 1st place, Charlotte Kalla of Sweden takes 2nd place, Heidi Weng of Norway takes 3rd place, Therese Johaug of Norway competes during the Cross-Country Women's Skiathlon at the Laura Cross-country Ski & Biathlon Center on February 08, 2014 in Sochi, Russia.
Vianney Thibaut/Agence Zoom/Getty Images

Sochi, Russia (AP) -- All the gloom and grim talk leading to the Sochi Olympics at last gave way to more uplifting things.

IOC President Thomas Bach had said it's "time that it finally starts." And so it did Saturday -- the first competition since the cauldron was lit.

In all, 98 gold medals will be awarded over the next 16 days, and five were settled on Day 2.

Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen became the oldest individual gold medalist at the Winter Olympics, winning the 10-kilometer sprint -- his seventh career gold. Cross-country skier Marit Bjoergen, also from Norway, captured the women's 15-kilometer skiathlon for her fourth Olympic title. And American snowboarder Sage Kotsenburg, his blonde hair flapping from his helmet, won the first gold medal of the games by taking men's slopestyle.

Here are some of our favorite photos from the second day.

Gallery
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Ronan Lamy Chappuis of France
Ronan Lamy Chappuis of France jumps during the Men's Normal Hill Individual Qualification on day 1 of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at the RusSki Gorki Ski Jumping Center on February 8, 2014 in Sochi, Russia.
Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images
1 of 9
Cross-Country Women's Skiathlon
Marit Bjoergen of Norway takes 1st place, Charlotte Kalla of Sweden takes 2nd place, Heidi Weng of Norway takes 3rd place, Therese Johaug of Norway competes during the Cross-Country Women's Skiathlon at the Laura Cross-country Ski & Biathlon Center on February 08, 2014 in Sochi, Russia.
Vianney Thibaut/Agence Zoom/Getty Images
2 of 9
Sage Kotsenburg snowboarding
Sage Kotsenburg of USA takes 1st place during the Snowboarding Men's Slopestyle at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park on February 08, 2014 in Sochi, Russia.
Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom/Getty Images