Olympians' flight, ceremony delayed

The Olympians' flight from Sochi to the Eelde airport in Groningen is delayed with over an hour. The athletes were expected to arrive around 16:00. Their E.T.A. is now a little after 17:00. The Dutch Olympic Committee*Dutch Sports Federation (NOC*NSF) expects the tribute in Assen to start around 18:30, instead of 17:20 as initially planned.

The only change to the program so far, due to the delay, is that the athletes will be transported from Eelde to Assen by busses over the A28 instead of the planned scenic route along the Noord-Drenthe villages. The City of Assen and the NOC*NSF are counting on thousands of supporters, due to the overwhelming success of the Olympic skaters. A few dozen people already secured a spot by the grand podium on "the Vaart," on the edge of the Assen center. In several locations the City mounted large screens for fans to watch the tribute. After the tribute in Assen, Monday, the athletes will visit with Prime Minister Mark Rutte, King Willem-Alexander, and Queen Máxima in The Hague, Tuesday. The Netherlands won 24 medals in the Sochi winter Olympics. 8 gold, 7 silver, and 9 bronze medals, earning them a 5th place on the medal rankings