TorchbearerSydney Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 I feel sorry too for the Ukrainian Athletes who will march into the Opening Ceremony...how must they feel? And what about the 2018 World Cup? Knowing Putin and FIFA they will schedule some matches in Sevastopol or Simferopol...or even Kiev by then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTHarner Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Maybe some of the Ukrainian athletes are among those who favor a closer relationship with Russia than with the west, surely they will not be bothered at all. We can't speak for them. The cities for the 2018 World Cup were announced 18 months ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trylon Posted March 4, 2014 Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 Perhaps I misunderstood the news report on CNN this afternoon (March 3). I apologize. I just re-read the news story. If that is the case, no presidential delegation then big deal. That won't exactly bring the Russians to their knees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotguy Posted March 4, 2014 Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/disability-sport/26418517 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexjc Posted March 4, 2014 Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 My concern is Safety, but it looks like eveyone who's competing still going. The only ones not going are govt officials, and who wants them there anyway? Remember the Paralympics teams aren't large, NZ only has 3 in it, so the games will be pretty much invisible to the world looking over at the other side of the bay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony E Loves Architecture Posted March 4, 2014 Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 So it was stupid when countries - including Great Britain and Australia, competed in the 1980 Summer Games under the Olympic flag? I think it's a great idea and an appropriate gesture for the Sochi paralympics personally. I said it's a different story when necessary. But, he was coming across as saying, competing under Olympic Flag is better than your own flag, which is wrong IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olympian2004 Posted March 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2014 German government officials will boycott the Sochi Paralympics as well: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/03/06/german-officials-boycott-paralympics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony E Loves Architecture Posted March 6, 2014 Report Share Posted March 6, 2014 Government officials boycotting won't make much impact and won't bother Russia that much IMO. Athletes are still going, Russia get the media attention they want and the sport continues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olympian2004 Posted March 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2014 Well, if even more governments decide not to send representatives to Sochi, Putin might feel a little lonely (at least without major international recognition) on the VIP stand... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexjc Posted March 7, 2014 Report Share Posted March 7, 2014 Well, if even more governments decide not to send representatives to Sochi, Putin might feel a little lonely (at least without major international recognition) on the VIP stand... They'll keep the TV cameras well away from the VIP box, but then, will he show up? That wonderfully bored look he has wont be missed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanMUC Posted March 7, 2014 Report Share Posted March 7, 2014 Well, if even more governments decide not to send representatives to Sochi, Putin might feel a little lonely (at least without major international recognition) on the VIP stand... Might be his pals Nazarbayev, Lukashenko etc will give him company. I'm sure one of the Aliyev family will be there as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world atlas Posted March 7, 2014 Report Share Posted March 7, 2014 The theory that sports and politics can be separated is only a mere theory and has nothing to do whatsoever with reality. Sports events are practically always used also for political purposes. That was the case also with the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany which was used by the German government as a big commercial for the country and in some cases also for its politicians themselves. And even more so was/is that the case for Sochi: These are clearly Putin's Games and he makes no efforts to hide that he uses them for his own respectively Russia's political purposes. That's why I'm really stunned how one can seriously ask what the Paralympics have to do with the situation in Ukraine, only a few hundred kilometres away from Sochi, with Ukrainian athletes originally scheduled to participate, and with the host country Russia invading that said Ukraine despite the message of global peace and understanding conveyed also at the Paralympics. Sorry if you view it differently, but I think one simply can't dwell on the snow conditions of Krasnaya Polyana while only a few hundreds kilometres away, the Paralympic host country itself invading another sovereign country and playing with the risk of war. Correction: Sorry if you view it differently, but I think one simply can't dwell on the snow conditions of Krasnaya Polyana while only a few hundreds kilometres away, the Paralympic host country itself invades another sovereign country and plays with the risk of war. for the snow issue I meant by it the Sports media .. all their attention during the last week was about who will boycott and who will not when there is a real problem in the host city of the winter games .. it is already Spring there .. if the IPC do not care to play on the artifical snow .. well it's their games .. but this will affect the athletes and the sports/competitions this issue should be taken into consideration in the future when the IOC choose the host city of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter games they should choose a real wintry city with long winter so they can host the Paralympics in March with a real Winter atmosphere or held the Olympics in mid January to early February and the Paralympics in the last two weeks of February if they want cities with climate like Sochi to host the games for the Ukrainian issue and how it is related to the Paralympic games I doubt any athletes and officials who are now in Sochi feeling that they are in state of war as what IPC communications head Craig Spence has said: "when you come to a Paralympic Games you are effectively in a bubble. Our focus, and that of the athletes, is to put on the best Games ever." Sochi was chosen to host the games 7 years ago .. no one could predict what can happen in 7 years time from now most of the Sochi issues had happened in the last two years after London 2012 when the focus turned to them for example the LGBT issue will not have that much international attention if Russia wasn't hosting major Sports events in this decade as what we have said for the Olympians .. the Paralympians have nothing to do with the Ukrainian Political issues and how Russia is related to that and what Putin do or why this is happening right now at the time of the Paralympics the athletes are waiting this event for 4 years and the next event will be after another 4 years not all of the athletes participating in Sochi this year will have a chance to go to Pyeongchang 4 years later why should politicians prevent them from representing their country and raise their flag and be proud of their achievement and glory we should also take into consideration that this is the Paralympics .. for athletes with disability .. it's a great event and a highlight of their life even for the IPC officials they didn't choose Sochi or Russia to host the Paralympics .. the IOC members did so what we can do now ? cancel the games ? back next year when the situation could be better? go and held the games in another country? boycott? they did what it should be go ahead with it the venues are ready, the tickets were sold, the organizing committee and the Volunteers are waiting there and no Security issues inside or nearby the site that will host the games as for Ukrainian athletes, they are representing United Ukraine and should be happy when they are representing their country in such international events wherever the event is being held Ukrainian team has won a total of 19 medals 5 gold 8 silver and 6 bronze in Vancouver what will Ukraine get if their team didn't participate in the games? they will resolve their domestic issues and conflicts by doing that? they will help the Paralympic sports in their country? the games are scheduled to be held in Russia in March 2014 .. the decision was made 7 years ago and no way to change that now any Ukrainian athlete wins a medal in Sochi will be a glory for Ukraine and paralympic sports in the country 10 days and the games will be part of history and memories for the athletes and the people involved in it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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