The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics will be the most expensive games in history at an estimated cost of $51 billion. A record 88 countries will participate, including debuts from Paraguay and Zimbabwe. Twelve new winter sports events will also debut. National mascots were chosen from over 24,000 submissions, making this the first time mascots were selected by the entire host country. While Russia previously hosted in 1980, this will be the first time the US participates after boycotting the 1980 games in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The US and Canada will send their largest teams ever to compete.