There are several Olympics-related items that merit attention:

Johnny Weir Faces Off With LGBT Activists Over Sochi Olympics — Vocativ
“I never had a bad experience in Russia. I’ve never had someone call me a fag, or queer, or try to beat me up,” he said. “I’m very lucky that I’ve only seen the rosy side. I’ve only seen the golden side of Russian reality. I choose to see Russia in a very arrogant and selfish way, and only see the beautiful side of it.”

Weir can't help saying what's on his mind, but sometimes his mouth gets ahead of the facts. This was on display in New York on Monday.

Merchandise Uses Olympics Principles Against Russian Anti-Gay Laws – NYTimes.com
The proponents of the Principle 6 campaign say it can be effective because it will avoid the Olympic committee’s strictures against political statements or demonstrations by using the committee’s own language as a rallying cry for nondiscrimination. The line of Principle 6 branded merchandise will bear a rewritten version of the principle’s declaration: “Sport does not discriminate on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise.” (The paraphrase also serves to avoid another sticky issue: The Olympic committee is zealous in its policing of the use of the words “Olympic” or “Olympics” by anyone other than its members and official sponsors.)

The Sochi 2014 Olympics: An Environmental Disaster? | Russia | OutsideOnline.com
Determined that Russia will put on the most lavish Winter Games in history, Vladimir Putin has spent $51 billion, quashed environmental critics, and turned one of Europe’s most beautiful natural regions into a construction zone.

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