The Sochi Olympics are underway in Sochi, Russia. However, these games are not what the Olympics are supposed to be about. The Olympics are supposed to be about countries coming together and getting along with each other while competing in a friendly and peaceful way. Instead, there has been controversy surrounding these Olympics, and there have been many problems. As a result of the problems, these Olympics will be the worst Olympics in history, no matter what the final medal count is.
The controversy surrounding the games in Sochi is Russia’s anti-gay laws. While being gay is accepted here in the U.S., it is not accepted in Russia. Before the games began there were questions about whether there would be any discrimination towards gays at the games. Apparently the answer to that question is yes because there have been arrests made. On opening day, four LGBT activists were arrested in St. Petersburg while holding signs that quoted Principle 6 of the Olympic charter, which prohibits discrimination, according to the Independent. More than a dozen LGBT activists have been arrested in St. Petersburg and Moscow.
As if that’s not enough, the pseudo-lesbian pop duo Tatu performed at the Opening ceremonies. Clearly there is discrimination at the Olympics and its towards the gay community. On Sunday Dutch speed skater Ireen Wust became the first gay athlete to win a medal in Sochi. She won the gold in the 3,000 meters and got a hug from Russia's president Vladimir Putin. Wust is one of seven openly gay athletes competing in Sochi, Yahoo Sports notes, and her win is huge for the gay community.
Infrastructure has been another problem in Sochi. One of the biggest problems is the hotels. As the pre-game coverage began the hotels weren’t ready. Journalists in Sochi took to Twitter to show the conditions of their hotel rooms. The conditions are almost unlivable as there are no TVs, chairs, shower curtains, and apparently, there is video surveillance in the showers.
Hotels also have had water problems with the water being hazardous. These conditions are ridiculous and Sochi should have done a better job to getting hotels and the Olympic sites ready and in good condition before the games started. Poorly paid migrant workers who helped build the sites, local residents being pushed away to make room for the games, environmental abuse during construction, and the Sochi construction money that went to corruption are the reasons for the infrastructure problems, according to the Associated Press.
Stray dogs have also been a problem in Sochi. The dogs have been found near the Olympic sites in the days leading up to the Games. Instead of putting the dogs in shelters, Sochi officials have gotten rid of the dogs by killing them with poison. Vladimir Makarenko, the head of Sochi’s Hostinski district, has said that volunteers can take the stray dogs to a shelter on the outskirts of the city. However, animal-rights activist distrust the government and Sochi and Olympic officials have denied killing the stray dogs in Sochi.
"All stray dogs that are found on the Olympic Park are collected by a professional veterinary contractor for the well-being of the people on the Park and the animals themselves," the Sochi organizing committee said in a statement, CNN reports. Of course, the statement is false and hides the reality that they are actually killing the dogs and not putting them in shelters.
The poor infrastructure, the killing of stray dogs, and the discrimination towards gays have made these Olympics a disgrace. Russia and Olympic officials are acting like there are no problems with the games, which isn't a surprise. The AP notes that Dmitry Chernyshenko, the head of the Sochi committee said ''The games in Sochi are our chance to show the whole world the best of what Russia is proud of. Our hospitality, our achievements, our Russia!'' Russia is making these Olympic games all about them. The killing of stray dogs isn’t right and should never have happened along with the other problems that have made these games a disaster.