Before I came to the University of Tampa, I was not only a student but an athlete, specifically competing in cheerleading and softball. My favorite part about being out on the field for a game or on the mat for a competition was not even playing the game or performing but looking out in the stands and seeing my family there cheering me on. Now I’m no Olympic athlete, but I wouldn’t think twice about competing in the Olympics without my family by my side.
A number of athletes in the 2014 Sochi Olympics felt it best to tell their families to stay away due to the unsatisfying conditions and questionable security in Sochi, Russia, according to Fox News. Out of all those once-in-a-lifetime moments you could possibly have, watching your child compete in the Olympics has got to be up there. Because Sochi was unprepared, these families missed out.
An overwhelming amount of criticism flooded social media concerning conditions in Sochi, such as mismanagement, unfinished hotel rooms for athletes and guests, contaminated water, discrimination against LGBT athletes, the weather and the threat of terrorism, according to TIME. Robert Tuchman, president of the New York-based Goviva travel firm, was quoted in Businessweek saying, “This is definitely, from a travel perspective, a low point in terms of the Winter Olympics that I’ve seen in the 20-plus years I’ve been doing it.”
That is not a good sign considering Sochi is not a hotspot for tourists, according to Businessweek. Hosting the Olympics was a great opportunity for Russia to show people what is great about Sochi and why they should choose to travel there, but it was unable to meet expectations.
It’s a bit concerning that all these problems still exist despite the fact that Russia has spent a record $51 billion on these Winter Olympics so far. The price tag for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics was only $7 billion, according to GQ.
The article also reported that the amount of money that has been spent for this year’s Olympics is more than every other Winter Olympics combined since 1924, which is about $48 billion, according to playthegame.org.
When athletes and journalists arrived, the hotels were not even fully finished. GQ revealed some of the pictures that have been tweeted by journalists of dirty rooms, brown water and ongoing construction.
Sports columnist for the LA Times Helene Elliott tweeted a picture of a pink vase with the caption, “I have this in my room…but still no light bulbs in the lamps, no TV, no hair dryer.” And the most disturbing tweet of all had to have been from reporter Matt Gutman of ABC when he shared a photo of a packet of honey with a bee stuck inside.
Fifty billion dollars spent and they can’t put hairdryers in the room or keep bees out of the honey packets? Come on, Sochi. I know you could have done better than that. After all, the most famous saying about this Russian city is, “If I could read the cards, I would live in Sochi,” according to wikitravel.org.
Recently Sochi has become very successful and is known for its many attractions involving nature, sports, history and beaches. Sounds to me like the cards were in its favor.
Most of the money has been spent bringing in man-made snow to keep the courses in good condition for the athletes, according to The New York Times. Temperatures soared high into the 60s most days forcing events and practices to be rescheduled.
Now, I understand that the weather is not something that can be controlled, but according to Slate, Sochi is known for having a subtropical climate, which means the winters are mild. The fact that IOC (International Olympic Committee) chose to hold the Winter Olympics in a city where snow is very uncommon is a little concerning considering it affected most of the events and arguably some of the athletes’ performances.
Also in question was the discrimination against LGBT athletes. Athletes were feeling the pressure of Russia’s new law that prohibits the “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations among minors,” according to the Washington Post. But most athletes, including Americans, chose to speak out in a positive way despite the discrimination.
Figure skater Johnny Weir told The Washington Post, “As far as people being upset with me for being here, I want everybody to know that I’m proud being here and I’m proud to be representing gay America in my own small way.”
Most of the gay athletes are in strong disagreement with the law but do not wish to protest in order to represent their country in the best way they can. I commend them for being the bigger person when it came to a situation filled with such adversity, and I am proud to stand behind athletes from all countries that choose to speak out in a positive way about the discrimination against LGBT athletes. They couldn’t have chosen a better way to represent their country.
I also commend the athletes for even going to Sochi in the first place while threats of terrorism loomed over them along with the pressure of competing in what could possibly be the most important sporting event of their lives. Vladimir Putin oddly chose the city that sits the closest to a region filled with rebels and terrorists who hate him.
He also denied President Barack Obama’s offer to help with security in Sochi, according to the LA Times.
Junior criminology major Jordyn Queipo was also disappointed with this year’s Olympics. “I think it was really sad that this Winter Olympics had so many issues, and I think it really took away from the athletes and their accomplishments,” she said. “Personally, I feel it was a mistake to choose Sochi for this Winter Olympics and the athletes and their families certainly suffered the most from it.”
I agree with Queipo here. There were too many unnecessary issues that prevented the Olympics from running smoothly.
There is always a lot on the line when choosing where the Olympics will be held and if the country that gets chosen can step up and put on a show better than the previous host country. So far, Sochi has only overtaken past Winter Olympics with the amount of money the country has spent.
Let’s be honest, when it comes to the Russian Government’s performance as host of the 2014 Winter Olympics compared to other countries, Sochi definitely doesn’t deserve to make it on the podium.
Caitlin Malone can be reached at caitlin.malone@spartans.ut.edu