SOCHI, Russia (AP) — 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.

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.

SOCHI, Russia (AP) — Fast five, Sunday edition: Five things to know about the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

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CLOSING CEREMONY: The chief creative director of the opening and closing ceremonies in Sochi poked fun at the festivities ahead of the curtain-setting bash, wearing a white T-shirt with a depiction of the opener’s four Olympic ring flub. Asked whether organizers would feature the rings glitch at the closing ceremony Sunday night, Konstantin Ernst said: “I’m not going to tell you!”

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RUSSIAN VICTORY: The host nation is finishing strong at the Sochi Games. The Russians swept the podium in the men’s 50-kilometer cross-country race and also won gold in the four-man bobsled on the final day of the games. The performances helped the Russians finish with the most gold medals (13) and most total medals (33) of any nation four years after the country’s worst Winter Games performance ever.

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BACH’S IMPRESSION: IOC President Thomas Bach says the Sochi Olympics have showcased the “amazing” transformation of the city from a fading resort to a modern Winter Games wonderland. Bach says Sochi has staged excellent games that prove it was a sound decision to award Russia the games seven years ago. He says Sochi used to be an “old, Stalinist-style sanatorium city where you entered the room and you were looking at the roof so you would not be hit by something falling down. It was terrible.”

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GOLD MEDAL HOCKEY: The final medals of the Sochi Games were awarded at a men’s hockey final between Canada and Sweden, with Canada winning gold after beating Sweden 3-0. Sweden took home silver. The game lacked the excited atmosphere of games played by Russia, the hockey-loving host nation.

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DUERR DOPING CASE: Austrian cross-country skier Johannes Duerr was kicked out of the games after testing positive for the blood booster EPO. It is the fifth doping case — and most serious so far — at the Olympics. Austrian Olympic Committee President Karl Stoss called it a “black day” for the country’s sports program. Duerr finished eighth in the men’s skiathlon Feb. 9 and was tested seven days later in Austria, where he had flown back for training.