Indian interest over: Himanshu Thakur finishes 72nd

India’s only Olympic Alpine skier Himanshu Thakur finished last in the men’s giant slalom on Wednesday and cannot wait for the Sochi Games to end. Not because he is homesick or fed-up with his performance — he just wants to walk with his country’s flag at the closing ceremony after being denied that honour when the torch was lit nearly two weeks ago.

The 20-year-old from the foothills of the Himalayas had to march behind an Olympic flag when the Games began because of a ban on India’s Olympic Association due to the election of a corruption-tainted official as secretary general.