Interesting headwear: Cristiano Ronaldo's
girlfriend Irina Shayk, centre, leads the Russian delegation at the
opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics
+11
Reinventing the wheel? An artist performs during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics
The programme notes even trumpeted Putin as an Alpine skier, ice-skater and ice hockey player.
There was no mistaking who was the all-action hero of this piece. The light on the presidential box remained on when all others were switched off, in case anyone did not get the message.
But dear Lubov was not even-handed in her history lesson. Lenin and Stalin, those two brutal tyrants of the 20th century, went uncelebrated. No mention was made that the whole shebang is being staged down the road from Uncle Joe’s dacha.
Nor did we hear about repression, dissent, terror fears and the political tension over neighbouring Ukraine.
Eye-catching: Artists perform during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics
e
president’s reputed girlfriend, the gold-medal gymnast Alina Kabaeva. 
