The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics started with a tragedy, overcame early teething pains and left a positive legacy according to International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge.
Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died in a training accident hours before the opening ceremony to cast a shadow over the Games.
The Games organising committee (VANOC) also had to contend with a number of glitches and weather-related problems in the early stages.
But ultimately passionate backing from the host nation, with venues packed and the streets of Vancouver vibrant throughout, left the overall impression of a successful Games.
Asked for his assessment of the Games, Rogge said: "The Games, from the point of view of VANOC, went through teething pains. It would be unfair, however, not to judge the Games and VANOC on their own merit."
"There was an extraordinary embrace by the city of Vancouver, something I've never seen before."
"The legacy is a positive one."
Referring to the death of Kumaritashvili, Rogge said: "The Games started in tragic conditions with the death of a young luger which is something the Olympic movement will never forget."
The Whistler Sliding Center track which claimed Kumaritashvili's life, staged bobsleigh and skeleton events as well as the luge and several athletes voiced concerns about it being too fast.
Rogge, who has urged Sochi 2014 organisers to put the safety of athletes first when constructing their track, said: "It's not the IOC pushing the boundaries. The boundaries are pushed by the ambitions of the athletes. We, at times, have to protect them against their own risk-taking."
"We have a moral responsibility to ensure the safety of the athletes but we will never be able to eliminate all the risk."