Sochi is Russia’s largest resort city, one of the very few places in Russia with a subtropical climate. With warm to hot summers and mild winters, Sochi is located on the Black Sea coast and will host the XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games in 2014. The 2014 Olympics will be bringing 6,000 athletes from 85 countries to Sochi. According to Time Sports, this will be the most expensive Olympics ever, with more than $50 billion spent.
Many people have attempted to boycott the 2014 Winter Olympics and there has also been growing concern regarding possible terrorist attacks primarily by Islamist militants. Reuters has reported that, the Winter Games in Sochi will coincide with the 150th anniversary of the expulsion of Muslim Circassians from the Black Sea coast that resulted in the estimated deaths of 1.5 million people.
Security, human rights issues and the readiness of Sochi accommodations have been a subject of media coverage and scrutiny leading up to the Games. It has been reported that Russians have been rounding up and poisoning stray dogs before the Olympics.
In a poll released by CNN/ORC, the findings just days before the Olympics have revealed that 57% of Americans think a terror attack on the Olympics Sochi Games is a likely thing. The same survey of more than 1,000 Americans also showed some wider unfavorable views about Russia and its leader, President Vladimir Putin. The poll reported that 54% of Americans have a negative view Vladimir Putin, making him one of the least popular foreign leaders among Americans. According to the CNN/ORC poll, just over half of Americans say it is important to them that the United States wins more medals than any other country.
The Olympic torch arrived in Sochi on Wednesday. According to Yahoo News the flame carriers are set to include UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and IOC president Thomas Bach as well as Russian stars pole vault champion, Yelena Isinbayeva. Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared that, “Russia is ready for the Olympic Games.”
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