Russia President Vladimir Putin yesterday "breezed into Sochi" in advance of the start of the Olympics, and he will "hope that his typically energetic arrival, coupled with rumours that he may himself skate as part of the opening ceremony, will dispel some of the negativity surrounding an event that was supposed to showcase the glory of 21st-century Russia," according to Hoyle & Charter of the LONDON TIMES. When flying into Sochi, it is "possible to wonder if, perhaps, the Games will prove an unlikely triumph after all." But that optimism "begins to ebb away at ground level where, despite the best efforts of an army of smiling, courteous volunteers, early guests have found themselves surrounded by frantic last-minute construction work, and booked into hotels that are not fully built, or which they cannot reach because of a backlog in the secret services’ background-checking procedure" (LONDON TIMES, 2/5). The GLOBE & MAIL's Mark MacKinnon writes while Putin is "determinedly trying to put a positive spin on things" ahead of the Opening Ceremony, there are "loud whispers that the President is furious about the state and cost of Sochi," which is reported to be $51B. Things "could yet get worse for him," as fears of an "embarrassing political protest -- perhaps against the Kremlin’s recent assault on gay rights -- are such that known political dissidents and rights activists are being denied entry to the Olympic city even if they have already purchased tickets for an event" (GLOBE & MAIL, 2/5). In N.Y., Andrew Kramer reports the Russian Olympic Committee has "prohibited several Russian political activists from attending sporting events by denying them documents known as Olympic passports ... which spectators need in addition to tickets to gain access to sporting venues" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/5).
FEELING SAFE AND SECURE: In L.A., David Wharton cites athletes who have arrived in Sochi over the last few days as saying that they "feel safe, in large part because of a very obvious military and security presence." U.S. speedskater Jessica Smith said, "From the moment you step off the plane, you're showing credentials. Everybody's checking you at each stop you enter and you exit" (L.A. TIMES, 2/5). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Brian Costa reports police and military personnel "dot the sidewalk outside the airport, with bomb-sniffing dogs on leashes." Around Olympic Park, they "man security checkpoints that restrict the flow of car traffic." But their presence also is "somewhat understated, with officers dressed in purple rather than camouflage" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/5). USA TODAY's Christine Brennan notes she had not "seen a gun" during her first 24 hours in Sochi. While that is "not to say the Olympic venues are not secure," Brennan writes, "For those of us used to seeing massive shows of force at the Olympic Games and at major American sports events, the lack of that here, at least so far, is stunning." Brennan: "The Sochi we have heard about for weeks in the United States is quite different from the Sochi I entered at midnight Monday." The city is "not foreboding" nor "frightening." It "seems like just another city hosting another big sporting event, with no apparent tension, no frayed nerves" (USA TODAY, 2/5).
SUCKING THE JOY OUT OF THE GAMES? In K.C., Vahe Gregorian writes he is "concerned that the area and events surrounding the Games will be so oppressive with 'ring of steel' security and Russian rigidity as to make the overall scene joyless" (K.C. STAR, 2/5). ESPN's Jeremy Schaap notes there is a "considerable security presence here." Schaap: "I think there are 70,000 police officers in Sochi. This is going to be a hard target.” The Wall Street Journal's Brian Costa said there is the "security presence you would expect," as the police is "pretty visible everywhere." However, officials are "making a concerted effort to sort of not overshadow the games." Costa: "The police officers and the security personnel you see are not out there in camouflage and holding assault rifles. They’re certainly on alert, but I think you can tell they're trying to be vigilant without making the Olympics seem like a war zone" ("Mike & Mike," ESPN Radio, 2/5).
