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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.

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


Vianney Thibaut/Agence Zoom/Getty Images

Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom/Getty Images

Photo by Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom/Getty Images

Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Chloe Dufour-Lapointe and Justine Dufour-Lapointe

Seeing Sochi Day 2: Our favorite Olympics photos

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