AP PHOTOS: Joy on a sunny Day 2 at the Beijing Olympics

Beijing Olympics Day 2 Photo Gallery (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Johannes Ludwig knelt in gratitude and Wolfgang Kindl jumped for joy, celebrating their respective gold and silver finishes in men's luge at the Beijing Olympics.

It was the culmination of a long journey for Ludwig, who by his own admission said he overcame “a lot of not-so-successful years" to win on Sunday. He dropped to his knees on the podium, overcome by the emotion.

Kindl appeared no less grateful, jumping into the air to celebrate his second-place finish.

Nils van der Poel also staged a comeback. This one in a matter of seconds, rather than years. He gave Sweden its first Olympic speedskating medal since 1988, turning on the speed at the end to take gold.

Besides their medals, the winners also received a chubby panda — the mascot of the Beijing Games.

Snowboarders soared over sunny slopes during the slopestyle competition, while skiers flew in front of a backdrop of cooling towers at the repurposed steel mill that serves as the big air venue. China was thrilled by its win over Japan in a shootout during a preliminary women’s hockey game.

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