The 2014 Winter Olympics: Day 10(ish)

Today has been a momentous day in the history of the modern Olympic movement. The Indian flag has been raised over the games and the nation has been officially welcomed into the competition. This represents the first time that a nation has been welcomed into the Olympic movement during either a Winter or Summer games.

The reason why India was a little late this year is that in an incident that possibly reflects a wider problem within the nation their election of Olympic delegates was mired in accusations of corruption and ballot rigging. After months of negotiation the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was left with no other option then to suspend India from the modern Olympic movement under the 6th principle of the Olympic charter. Having suffered the humiliation of having Indian Winter Olympians enter the arena as independent athletes during the opening ceremony the Indian Olympic Organising Committee swiftly held a fresh election that was found to be up to IOC standards and India's suspension was lifted.

This has probably been the most controversial issue of the 2014 games with people across the world being asked to take part in Principle 6 protests to remind the IOC of their duty. I believe that the American fashion designer Alexander Wang even produced a range of very expensive (USD125) beanie hats to highlight the issue and as part of the quid pro quo of taking Rihanna to Brazil US Vogue magazine were forced to include Wang's design in their current US edition which featured Rihanna on the cover.

Of course there is a possibility that those involved in the Principle 6 (P6) campaign thought they were bravely campaigning for equal rights for homosexuals. After all Principle 1.2.6 of the Olympic charter states that discrimination based on any grounds is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement. I would hate for that to be the case though because along with presenting the straw man argument that homosexuality has a genetic base choosing the wrong section of the Olympic code does rather make gay rights protesters appear as a bunch of hysterical and reactionary lunatics whose relationship with reality is tenuous at best. That is hardly the sort of image that is going to convince people that homosexuals should be left alone with children.

Beyond the India debacle there has been some serious news that can't have avoided forcing it's way into the Olympic bubble. Basically on Saturday (15/2/14) the Geneva II talks that are intended to bring regime change to Syria ended with no suggestion that they will ever resume. It is hard for me to form an opinion on this because the US designated representatives of the 'Syrian Opposition' bear no resemblance to the Syrian insurgents who are actually fighting against the Syrian government. However I suppose we should be grateful that there is now one fewer thing for us all to trip over.

In response to the collapse of Geneva II the anti-Russian protesters in Ukraine had withdrawn from one of the government buildings they seized. This is obviously the Ukrainian anti-Russian protesters enquiring as whether they've simply been taken for fools and used as a metaphor for the Saudi-led insurgency in Syria. On the plus side though I suppose it highlights the importance of protecting a nation's population from foreign interference, especially via the Internet.

Anyway at around 20:40 on 16/2/14 (UK date) it appears that I'm a little bit drunk, digesting food and running a little bit late. So more words will appear here shortly. I promise.

Edited at around 20:50 on 16/2/14 (UK date) to add;

As for the games themselves politically things have been a bit subdued. Partly this is due to India issue and the collapse Geneva II. Mainly though it is as a result of the fall out from yesterday's Russia V USA preliminary men's Ice Hockey match.

The good news is that with Obama taking a day off the US appears to have found some testicles with the news that a Colorado Avalanche has left a number of skiers missing. The fact that Russia's goal tender Semyon Varlamov plays in the US NHL for the Colorado Avalanches means that this sounds dangerously like trash talk from the US. Sadly the fact that two of those skiers have since been found dead sounds like the US posing the question of "How far is too far?"  Although that sounds like p*ssy talk to me the fact that the US have now all but qualified for the quarter finals by beating Slovenia 5-1 means that everyone can start playing again. Having squeaked two points off a Slovakian team that had suddenly learnt how to defend it looks likely that Russia will have to face a play-off.

Perhaps reacting to the India issue or the Colorado issue British snowboarder Rowan Cheshire decided to crash during training. Having being knocked unconscious the British team demanded that Cheshire be rushed to the same hospital as Russian skier Maria Komissarova for a little game of "How injured is she?" Fortunately the British team finally conceded that is was just a mild concussion and Cheshire is expected to continue. The fact that Cheshire injured herself by pulling a faceplant means that this could have been a reference to the India issue. After all most people's reaction to the US' P6 campaign was "#Facepalm" which is the internationally recognised Internet symbol for; "OMG, You F*cking Idiots." The speculation that Cheshire might have been seriously injured is of course a reference to the "How far is too far?" question.

The main event of the day though was the start of the men's two man bobsleigh event which featured the Jamaican Bobsleigh team. This of course provided an opportunity to discuss the issue of race within Russian society - specifically the issue of African people, after all they've got sh*t loads of Asians over there. Firstly the Jamaican team along with a select few other Winter Olympians are genuinely the first black people that many of  the Russian visitors to Sochi have ever seen in the flesh. Secondly I think the Jamaican team are getting a little tired of all those references to the 1994 Disney film "Cool Runnings." While I'm sure that the Russian guy who turned up in a Rastafarian hat and dreadlocks wig carrying a Bob Marley flag was trying to show his support those are exactly the sort of stereotypes that can cause a lot of offence.

Finally the UK has announced that Wayne Rooney has not signed a new contract to play for Manchester United Football club. Basically the UK and sections of the US were hoping that I would be spending the Winter Olympics chasing up the Criminal Damage nonsense that I was embroiled in for much of 2013. Needless to say that hasn't been happening but the other day my cellphone did call up my lawyers while I was sitting there watching it.

21:20 on 16/2/14 (UK date).