SOCHI, Russia -- IOC President Thomas Bach paid tribute Tuesday to the victims of the recent suicide bombings in southern Russia that killed 34 people and heightened security concerns for the Sochi Olympics. Bach spoke at a ceremony in the athletes village to urge compliance with the "Olympic Truce," a symbolic resolution urging warring parties to cease hostilities during the games. "We remember and grieve for the innocent victims of conflict, and especially the recent victims in Volgograd," Bach said. "Our presence here today is a rebuke to those whose motives and goals stand in sharp contrast to the spirit of harmony and global solidarity at these games." An Islamic militant group from the North Caucasus region claimed responsibility for the back-to-back bombings in late December in Volgograd, about 640 kilometres (400 miles) east of Sochi, and threatened to strike the Olympics. Russia has mounted a massive security operation to guard the games, which open Friday and run through Feb. 23. Tens of thousands of military and police personnel have been deployed, along with warships, drone aircraft and anti-missile batteries. The U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution in November calling for a global truce during the Sochi Games. Similar resolutions have been passed going back to the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics. "We are not naive," Bach said. "We know our limits." The IOC leader said the Olympic Village is a symbol of peace. "Men and women from different backgrounds, different cultures, different religions and different perspectives live side-by-side in harmony," he said. Bachs use of the term "different perspectives" could be seen as a reference to sexual orientation. The buildup to Sochi has been overshadowed by an international outcry against a Russian law banning gay "propaganda" among minors. Activists and some politicians called for a boycott of the games over the issue. "We must never let politics or other outside forces spoil this spirit," Bach said. Among those attending the ceremony was Russian pole vault star Yelena Isinbayeva, who is serving as the "mayor" of the Olympic Village in the coastal cluster of venues. Isinbayeva made headlines in August at the world athletics championships when she condemned homosexuality, saying Russians have "normal" heterosexual relations. The next day, she said her comments in English may have been misunderstood and that she is against any discrimination. Isinbayeva declined further comment Tuesday on the Russian laws butSvetlana Zhurova, mayor of one of the other two athletes villages in the mountains above Sochi, said the issue had been overblown, was unfairly clouding the buildup to the games and she was fed up with fielding questions about it. Zhurova, the 2006 Olympic speedskating gold medallist , urged activists not to use the Winter Games as a platform for protests. "For the spectators it is more important who wins than whether he or she is homosexual or not," she said. "This doesnt matter. Im sure there will be no problems." Tuesdays ceremony began in embarrassing fashion for the hosts. As Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak prepared to speak, the plastic lectern collapsed onto the ground. Bach drew laughs when he said: "We can see that sport can break down walls this morning." Members of the IOCs executive board toured the Olympic Village, which will accommodate about 2,200 athletes along the Black Sea coast. Two other smaller villages are located in the mountain cluster above Sochi. Bach chatted with athletes, grabbed some lunch in the cafeteria and played table tennis in the recreation room. "The village is really magnificent," he said. "What the athletes appreciate is the proximity to the competition venues. I just spoke to a female American speedskater and Russian ice hockey player and the first thing they say is, We can walk from here to our training sessions." Bach has his own room in the village, keeping a tradition started by his predecessor, Jacques Rogge, though he also stays in a luxury hotel nearby during IOC meetings. "One of the greatest privileges of an IOC president is you can ask for a room in the Olympic Village," Bach said. "Its here where the Olympic spirit lives." Mitchell Trubisky Womens Jersey . Almost 40 years to the day, the two teams will meet again, this time at BC Place, to celebrate the past and try to earn important points for the present. Dan Hampton Bears Jersey . 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Now the Royals will take the field on Saturday with a World Series lead for the first time in team history when they play Game 4 of the Fall Classic against the Giants at AT&T Park.VANCOUVER -- Daniel Sedin scored twice before leaving on a stretcher after taking a hit from behind as the Vancouver Canucks concluded what has been a disastrous season with a 5-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Sunday. Frank Corrado, with his first in the NHL, Ryan Kesler and Yannick Weber also scored for Vancouver (36-35-11), while Jacob Markstrom made 21 saves for his first victory with the Canucks. The result of a game that meant very little was overshadowed by a nasty incident late in the second period when Daniel Sedin was checked in the numbers by Calgarys Paul Byron and stayed down before being stretchered off. Sedin appeared to be moving his fingers, but there was no immediate update on his status. Byron was assessed a five-minute penalty for boarding and a game misconduct. The team said Sedin was taken in stable condition to hospital to undergo further evaluation. "He exhibited signs of movement to his extremities and showed improvement from initially being hit," the statement read. "No assessment will be made until completion of this evaluation." Henrik Sedin added two assists for Vancouver, which goes into the off-season with more than a few question marks after missing the playoffs for the first time in six years. Johnny Gaudreau scored in his first NHL game and Karri Ramo stopped 18 shots for Calgary (35-40-7) as the Flames wrapped up a 2013-14 campaign that saw the team miss the post-season for the fifth straight spring. Vancouver scored twice in the first period and stretched its lead to 3-0 at 9:12 of the second on Corrados first career goal on a shot from the top of the faceoff circle through traffic past Ramo. Kesler then ripped his 25th of the season at 13:49 to make it 4-0 for Vancouver before Gaudreau scored his first in the NHL at 15:22, when a deflection in front went off his stick and past Markstrom to get Calgary on the board. The 20-year-old Gaudreau won the Hobey Baker award earlier this week as the top player in U.S. college hockey after the native of Salem, N.J. recorded 35 goals and 42 assists in 39 games this season with Boston College. After Sedin was taken off the ice before the hushed Rogers Centre crowd, Weber scored on the ensuing power play to make it 5-1 at 18:55, with Vancouver rookie Michael Zalewski picking up an assist for his first point in the NHL.dddddddddddd Markstrom, who came over as part of the Roberto Luongo trade with the Florida Panthers last month, made a nice save on a Sean Monahan breakaway early in the third but had a relatively quiet night. The summer should be interesting for both Calgary and Vancouver. The Flames need a new general manager after firing Jay Feaster in December, while the Canucks are also on the lookout for a new GM following Mike Gillis dismissal last week. The Flames have not made the playoffs since 2008-09 but came into this season with a young roster and zero expectations. The club got off to a rough start, but played much better in the New Year, a surge that coincided with the line brawl against Vancouver in January that saw Canucks head coach John Tortorella try to get into the Flames locker-room. The Canucks, meanwhile, were in a playoff spot at Christmas but stumbled badly for a 20-game stretch midway through the season because of injuries and an inability to adapt to Tortorellas system. Whether or not the embattled coach remains behind the bench next season could be one of the first decisions for newly minted president of hockey operations Trevor Linden. With playoff weather outside as temperatures reached 15 C in Vancouver on Sunday, there was more of a pre-season atmosphere with both teams playing for pride and little else. The Canucks gave up two separate 2-on-1 breaks to the Flames fourth line early in the first period but survived that scare to score the opening goal at 7:14. Vancouvers David Booth, while falling to the ice, swatted at a rebound in front that bounced off Daniel Sedin and past a surprised Ramo. Markstrom then made a couple of nice saves on a Calgary man advantage midway through the period before the Canucks doubled their lead at 13:57 on a power play of their own when Sedin chipped home his 16th of the campaign. It marked Sedins first two-goal game of the season and first since Feb. 24, 2013 -- a span of 101 games. Notes: The Canucks inducted former head coach and general manager Pat Quinn into the Ring of Honour high above the ice surface prior to the game. Quinn led the Canucks team that lost in Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup final to the New York Rangers. ... Canucks players are scheduled to meet the media on Monday morning at Rogers Arena. ' ' '