The day after: A proud Sochi cleans up after end of Winter Olympics as the world heads home
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The world's athletes and visitors are rolling toward Sochi's airport and taking off for home. They're fresh from a Winter Games experience that many Russians pronounce a smashing success and that the head of the Olympic movement enthusiastically labels a victory for the region and the host nation.
After 17 days of global sport and spotlight, Sochi is starting to clean up.
It's predicted to be the heaviest Olympic-related travel day, but travelers through the region's airport are reporting briskly moving security lines and check-in times of anywhere from 10 minutes to three hours.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Olympic Park has cleared out except for volunteers in multicolored patchwork jackets. Most security barriers remain in place in anticipation of the Paralympic Games, but security is noticeably more relaxed.