As the first week of the 2014 Olympics comes to an end, there has been as much discussion pertaining to the athletes as there has been about security around the host city. But the bigger issue, especially as the week progresses, might not be about security or the latest athlete to take home the gold.
Temperatures in Sochi have started to climb, and looking at the extended forecast, there could be significant problems by the end of the week with temperatures reaching the low 60 degrees by Friday. Sochi isn't the first city to experience the "warming effect." In the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, snow had to be airlifted in to ensure the mountains were properly covered. Hypothetically with these temperatures, Sochi could be a host for the summer games - the 2012 Summer Olympics were held in London, with the average high for July around 70 degrees.
Officials in Sochi have been following Vancouver's lead by adding the snow that was stockpiled from last winter onto the racing venues, which has helped, but some athletes are still skeptical. At the RusSki Gorki Jumping Center, one of the jumps was canceled due to the soft snow in the landing area, a direct result of the warming temperatures. American athlete Shaun White, who was running through practice runs on the halfpipe, said it was "pretty hard to ride" but concluded that it was nothing these athletes had not experienced before.
The best explanation for the rising temperatures could be that Americans are misinformed. When thinking of Russia in February, undeniably the first thought that comes to mind is something similar to a frozen tundra. This may be accurate for some parts of Russia, such as Siberia, but Sochi is located at the very southern end of Russia on the Black Sea, almost 1,000 miles from Moscow. The average high in Sochi this time of the year is near 50 degrees while in Moscow, the average is around 22 degrees.
Regardless of the temperatures, athletes have prepared for this competition for years and it's unfortunate that conditions are not ideal. Maybe conquering the weather is the ultimate test for these Olympians? Here's hoping the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea have more ideal weather conditions for these winter athletes.
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