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Friday, February 7, 2014
Sochi’s opening show: Let Putin’s games begin Angela Charlton
They’re pinning especially high hopes on their athletes, once a force to be reckoned SOCHI, Russia — They’re with and the pride of the nadesigned to celebrate a millen- tion. They were an national nium of Russian might and this embarrassment at the Vancoucountry’s modern rebound, ver Games in 2010, with just and kick off two weeks of ex- three gold medals and a string traordinary human endeavors of doping busts. and planetary sportsmanship. “This ceremony can only But the ceremony opening help motivate our guys,” said the Sochi Olympics on Friday, Russian bobsled coach Oleg more than anything, will be Sokolov. “You have to visit this about one man: Vladimir Putin. kind of event, especially when He charmed and strongthe whole stadium is cheering armed his way to hosting the for you.” games at a summer beach This year, Russia has resort that he envisioned as cleaned up its game and is prea winter paradise. He stared senting hundreds of skaters, down terrorist threats and skiers and other champions in worldwide wrath at a scarcely the arenas on Sochi’s seashore veiled campaign against gays. and in the nearby Caucasus He has shrugged off critiques Mountains slopes of Krasnaya that construction of the most Polyana. costly games in Olympic hisWhile the United States, tory was both shoddy and Norway and Germany are seen corrupt. as leading medal contenders, Ballet, man-made snow and Russia will be pushing hard to avant-garde art will make an bring home a bundle for the appearance at Sochi’s opening home crowd. Putin put on the ceremonies, though as with all pressure even as he tried to past opening ceremonies, the motivate them this week: “We details are under wraps. They are all counting on you.” can’t really compete with the The world will be watching cinematic splendor of the Lon- the entire Olympic machine in don Olympics or the pyrotech- Sochi, and using what it sees nic extravaganza of Beijing, to sit in judgment of Putin’s but then again, the Winter Russia, where he has suffoGames are usually more lowcated political opposition and key. ruled overtly or covertly for 15 No matter. All Putin needs years. is an event that tells the world Is it a has-been superpower “Russia is back.” that can’t keep the electricity It’s a message meant for on during a hockey game? Or millions around the world who a driver of the 21st century will watch the show — and one global economy? A diplomatic for his countrymen, too. middleweight with ties to Russians will form the bulk despots that wields influence of the spectators in Sochi for only via its veto at the United the Olympics, a people whose Nations? Or a fairy tale of forebears endured centuries of prosperous resurrection from oppression, a revolution that the communist collapse and its changed the world, a Soviet ex- brutal aftermath? periment that built rockets and Who sits next to Putin on the nuclear missiles but struggled VIP balcony may provide some to feed its people. Russians clue. President Barack Obama who sometimes embrace Puand some other Western leadtin’s heavy hand because they ers are staying away, upset at fear uncertainty more than a law that he championed barthey crave freedom, and who, ring homosexual “propaganda” despite inhabiting the largest aimed at minors that has been country in the world, feel inse- used to more widely discrimicure about their place in it. nate against gays. The Associated Press
Morry Gash/Associated Press
Members of a Russian honor guard raise an Olympic flag during a welcoming ceremony at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Thursday. The opening ceremonies will gloss over the ugly bits as they hand over the games to the men and women who will spend the next two weeks challenging records and the limits of human ability. Princess Anne of Britain, who competed in equestrian at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, says the ceremonies should remind the world the athletes “are committing themselves to the Olympic ideal” — not just be a big party. Some 6,000 athletes and team members, a record for the Winter Olympics, will come for 98 events, including the new slopestyle extreme skiing competition that began Thursday. More women will
compete than ever before. Among Americans, Shaun White is skipping slopestyle to focus on winning a thirdstraight snowboarding gold in halfpipe. Gracie Gold and Ashley Wagner will try to out-skate South Korea’s Yuna Kim. The pros of the NHL won’t arrive until Monday, taking a special break in their season to hop on charter flights to Sochi and splitting off to compete against each other on behalf of their homelands. The last thing anyone wants to think about as Sochi opens the Olympics is terrorism, but it won’t be far from anyone’s mind. A few hundred miles away lies Chechnya, the site of two wars in the past two decades. And Dagestan, childhood home to the two brothers suspected in the Boston Marathon bombings and where militants regularly mount attacks. And Volgograd, where two suicide bombs killed 34 people in December. A decade ago, extremists hid a bomb in a stadium in Chechnya during construction. At its grand opening, the bomb exploded, killing the Kremlinbacked Chechen president. Fear of an attack on the Sochi Games has fueled Putin’s strict security agenda and brought U.S. warships to the region. About Russian 40,000 security forces are on guard, standing watch in all corners of Sochi and its Olympic Park on the sea and built-from-scratch mountain ski resort. Legions of small business owners, political leaders and residents of this region are also hoping things stay safe — and hoping that Putin wins his gamble the games will turn Sochi into a year-round resort zone. Glitches with notquite-ready hotels and a run of last-minute construction have already seeded doubts. While London’s Olympics celebrated little-known young athletes chosen to light the Olympic torch, the Sochi Games may celebrate experience instead.
Shamil Zhumatov/Associated Press
IOC President Thomas Bach, right, hands over the Olympic torch to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as the torch relay arrives in Sochi, ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics, Thursday.
Toothpaste making it to Russia despite warnings
Yet six Associated Press employees arriving in Moscow from across the world or beginning their journey there passed through security without having to remove toothpaste, hand lotion or water bottles from SOCHI, Russia — Despite their carry-on luggage. a temporary Russian ban on liquids in carry-on lugOther air travelers heading gage, some air travelers to Sochi also said their exheading to the Sochi Olym- perience of Russian airport pics through Moscow have security was surprisingly brought toothpaste and hassle-free. other toiletries past security “It was pretty chill. I had an checkpoints without any empty 1-1/2 liter water bottle problems. because I was hoping to fill Security concerns ahead of it up on the plane but no the Sochi Games were reone checked it,” said Matt newed after the U.S. Home- Segal, an Australian tourist land Security Department who traveled from Moscow to warned airlines flying to Rus- Sochi on Thursday. “No one sia that terrorists may try to has pulled it out and asked smuggle explosives into the about it.” country in toothpaste tubes.
Google makes statement about Russian anti-gay law The Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO — With the Winter Games underway in Sochi, Google Inc. quietly but vibrantly added its voice Thursday to the chorus of U.S. companies speaking out against Russia’s law restricting gay-rights activities by updating its iconic search page logo to depict illustrations of athletes skiing, sledding, curling and skating against a rainbow-colored backdrop. The company declined to comment on the new Google Doodle that appeared on its home pages worldwide, saying it wanted the illustration to speak for itself. But the logo clearly was meant as a show of support for gay rights and a rebuke of the law that bans pro-gay “propaganda” that could be accessible to minors: below the updated logo appears a two-sentence section of the Olympic charter that reads, in part, “The practice of sport is a human right.
Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind.” “Google has made a clear and unequivocal statement that Russia’s anti-LGBT discrimination is indefensible,” said Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin, whose Washington-based group has been lobbying American corporations, especially those sponsoring the Games in Sochi, to condemn the law signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in July. “Now it’s time for each and every remaining Olympic sponsor to follow their lead. The clock is ticking, and the world is watching.” Although Google is not an Olympics sponsor, its action came a day after three sponsors of the U.S. Olympic Committee — AT&T, DeVry University and yogurt maker Chobani — issued statements explicitly speaking out against the Russian law.