VERONA, Italy (KVOA) - The Olympic Winter Games concluded with a grand closing ceremony at the historic Verona Arena. Originally built in 30 AD, the Verona Arena served as a stunning backdrop that highlighted Italy's rich history and cultural significance as the games came to an end.

Related: 24 Historical Pictures From Every Winter Olympics That Are Honestly Mind-Blowing When You See How Far The Games Have Come The record goes on to note that "this astonishing figure equates to 70% of the population, or roughly two out of every three people on the planet."

Flagbearer Maria Eleni Tsiovolou leads the way, the Greek flag fluttering at the Closing Ceremony of the Winter Games

The Milan Cortina Olympics ended Sunday with a closing ceremony inside the ancient Roman amphitheater, Verona Arena.

While the first known Olympics were in southern Greece in 776 BCE, the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896 . Athletes from 14 countries participated, with the largest delegations coming from Greece,

There's so much more to the games besides gold, silver, and bronze. View Entire Post ›

Just as Shakespeare penned in "The Merchant of Venice," the human dimension playing out for American athletes competing in Italy might be surpassing the gold medal count at this year’s world games. If it’s any consolation, many of the elusive gold medals have been reported as breaking or detaching during victory celebrations.