Via AFP:
Veteran Yevgeny Plushenko and precocious Julia Lipnitskaia lifted Russia to its first gold medal of the Sochi Olympics Sunday while Austrian skier Matthias Mayer stormed to the blue riband men's downhill title.
Under the watchful eye of Russian President Vladimir Putin, 31-year-old Plushenko and slender 15-year-old sensation Lipnitskaia ensured a much welcome home triumph in team figure skating.
Plushenko took the men's free skate final and Lipnitskaia then sealed victory with a stunning performance to a standing ovation at the Iceberg Skating Palace.
"I'm 31 years and this means ev...
