"The Shot"
Photographer Olivier Morin blogs about snapping the "once-in-a-life-time" picture of Jamaican track star Usain Bolt.
IOC and Sochi Face Scrutiny
In an op-ed, theWashington Postgives its view on Russia’s war on gays.Following United States President Barack Obama’s zero-tolerance stance on countries who discriminate against gays, thePostsuggests the IOC also take a more definitive stand on the issue.
CBC News suggests that recent anti-gay legislation in Russia will not only mar the Sochi Olympics, but also the overall Olympic Movement. The Olympic Charter states that sport is human right for all. A "homophobic Olympics" could bring into question the Olympic Charter’s legitimacy.
Philip Hensher writes anIndependent Voicespiece in which he says Russia’s anti-gay crackdown will leave a stain on the Olympic Movement, but unfortunately not a new stain. According to Hensher, the Olympic Movement is accustomed to a country’s push for "ethnic and cultural purity in sport."
American Prospect writer Nancy Goldsteinsays it is time to "stick it to Sochi". Goldstein suggests activists should put pressure on organizations such as the IOC and United Nations to refute Russia’s anti-gay platform.Activists should focus on forms of protest beyond the Sochi Olympics and continue to "impede the progress of Putin’s Final Solution even once the crowds and the cameras leave."
Jewish News Service contributor Ben Cohen compares the calls for a Sochi boycott to Israeli boycott movements. Cohen states that to measure a boycott’s worth, one should consider two things:"Firstly, is the boycott justified? Secondly, can the boycott be effective?"
In a sports piece forIOL Blogs, Kevin McCallum suggests that a "gay salute from a podium" rather than a "deafening silence from the rest of the world" would cause a greater stir at the Sochi Olympics.
Give your regards to Broadway, President Putin. TheWashington Postreports that Hollywood and Broadway stars are joining in the outcry over Russia’s anti-gay legislation.
Despite recent showings of Western support, gay rights activists still face persecution throughout Russia. The New York Times puts Russian culture into perspective. Moscow and St. Petersburg reportedly possess "breathtaking wealth" and "vibrant culture." Yet discrimination and violence against the gay people "is widely tolerated" in both cities.
Sochi residents are displaced from their homes as the city prepares for the 2014 Winter Olympics. The Financial Timespaints a dismal picture of life for close to "2,000 Russian families" since construction began for the Winter Games. The Financial Times and the Human Rights Watch report that while most of these families were compensated and given new homes, some were not.
Olympic Dreams
The International Pole Sports Federation (IPSF) is vying for a spot in the Olympics. TheWall Street Journalreports on measures that the IPSF is taking to shed its "burlesque roots." Initiatives include a new set of rules for pole dancers and a dress code.
In 1996, Atlanta hosted the Summer Olympics, and in 2002, Salt Lake City staged the last Winter Games held in the US.TheBoston Globeasks whether Boston be the next US city to host an Olympics.
Compiled by Nicole Bennett.
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