By Will Van Gelder ‘16

While the Olympic Games are about the spirit of competition and sports, choosing a host remains a political matter. What many point to as a reason for not holding the Olympics in Russia in 2014 is the fact that while Russia is technically a democracy, President Vladimir Putin, who has been in power since 2000, controls the country in a totalitarian-like fashion.
Other problems with these Olympics center on environmental and cost issues. Many in the area around Sochi have said that the new Olympic complexes have destroyed wildlife and vegetation. The games are also reported to cost up to $50 billion, compared to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver which cost $8.2 billion.

Another concern is the fact that Sochi is very close to the Russian border with Ossetia, a disputed land in between Russia and Georgia, where war broke out during the 2008 summer Olympics. This war caused a major international crisis, and controversy over rumored human rights abuses.

The most publicized issue that is plaguing these Olympics, though, is how Russia will treat gay athletes in the Olympics. During the last few Olympic Games there was a pavilion called pride house as a celebration of gay athletes throughout the world. Recently, numerous Russian leaders have spoken up against the pavilion being allowed at the Olympics, and some have even suggested that no gay athletes should be allowed to participate. Russia has recently been cracking down on their gay population, including passing a law that prohibits the promotion of non-traditional sexual relationships to minors. Such laws have made many gay athletes fearful that they will not be able to participate in the Olympics, or even enter the country.
The Sochi Olympics possibly have caused the most controversy since the 1980 summer Olympics, which were held in Moscow and boycotted by the United States and many other Western nations. These Olympics are causing so much discord and confusion and anxiety that some are still asking should Russia be hosting these games.