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"FacebookPinterest\n\nThe 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia has been plagued with all sorts of problems. First political controversy (qualms with the authoritarian government, discrimination against LGBT people, Putin's Putin-ish-ness and penchant for not wearing a shirt), but now Sochi Problems (that's a Twitter account by the way) are more concrete\u2014as in the Olympic village isn't actually, materially, ready yet.\n\nBut to be fair, Sochi isn't the only host city that has dealt with issues with the Games. Here are some other contenders for the dunce-cap title.\n\nThe 1900 Games in Paris were so poorly put together\u2014they were indistinguishable from the World Fair happening simultaneously; there were no closing ceremonies; there were no medals\u2014that \"athletes died without every knowing that they had participated in the Olympics,\" according to Olympic historian David Wallechinsky.\n\nOnly a handful of national teams\u2014like twelve\u2014showed up for the 1904 St. Louis Olympics. That's because it was so hard to get there. (No airplanes or highways back then.) The founder of modern Olympics didn't even show.\n\nThe 1916, 1940 and 1944 Olympics because there were none. (They fell during World War I and II.)\n\nThe 1976 Olympics in Montreal racked up a $1-billion debt that took the city three decades to pay off. (The mayor at the time operated under the motto: \"The Olympics can no more lose money than a man can have a baby.\")\n\nThe 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid had nightmarish transportation problems. Only eighty of the expected 300 buses were running, so many were forced to hitchhike to events.\n\nThe 1980 Summer Games in Moscow had the lowest turnout of any Olympics since 1956, because many countries refused to attend a competition held by the Soviet Union.\n\nAfter the Sarajevo's 1984 Games, its Olympic facilities were ravaged by the Bosnian War. The bobsled track was used as an artillery stronghold, for example.\n\nWith this in mind, we turn to the present:\n\nFacing a shortage, hotels are redistributing pillows, taking them from volunteers and giving them to athletes.\n\n\n\nSochi curtains are not as durable as the Iron Curtain, apparently. \n\n@HarryCNN having no luck in Sochi. #SochiProblems #Sochi #Sochi2014 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/kDkVu5KyiC\n\n\u2014 Sochi Problems (@SochiProblems) February 4, 2014\n\nLight bulbs have become a bartering good among journalists at Sochi.\n\nTo anyone in Sochi: I am now in possession of three light bulbs. Will trade for a door handle. This offer is real: pic.twitter.com/7AeesqDi8Y\n\n\u2014 Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) February 4, 2014\n\nThree of four lights work, but the hotel room has no hot water and NO FURNITURE. \n\nLuckily for @jianghomeshi, I have extra lightbulb but need doorknob in return. #SochiProblems #Sochi2014 pic.twitter.com/s67850uTuj\n\n\u2014 Sochi Problems (@SochiProblems) February 5, 2014\n\nA vase for your fresh-cut flowers, but no TV, hair dryer, or light bulbs. \n\nI have this in my room...but still no light bulbs in the lamps, no TV, no hair dryer. pic.twitter.com/YX4icewIda\n\n\u2014 Helene Elliott (@helenenothelen) February 3, 2014\n\nThe lucky ones have hotel with lights that work. That being said, this hotel gym could use some work. \n\nSpa and fitness center at Gorki Grand hotel...you get in shape by putting it together? pic.twitter.com/jqqOCP9Wt5\n\n\u2014 Chris Dufresne (@DufresneLATimes) February 5, 2014\n\nThere are instructive signs that teach occupants how to use toilets. (No toilet-bowl fishing, for example.) \n\nWell that's interesting... Sochi rules in the bathrooms!! #haha #olympics pic.twitter.com/xacSVimwXY\n\n\u2014 Sebastien Toutant (@SebToots) February 1, 2014\n\nBut in context, that makes sense, since toilets look like this: \n\nMy room is pretty! But my toilet has no, uh, flush function #sochi pic.twitter.com/BV5tltBGDu\n\n\u2014 Sara Germano (@germanotes) February 5, 2014\n\nAt Sochi, honey comes with the bee that made it.\n\nBees in your honey, beer colored water, no flush toilets and the buzz abt #Sochi yuck factor today on @GMA pic.twitter.com/CvztMrEHRE\n\n\u2014 Matt Gutman (@mattgutmanABC) February 5, 2014\n\nAnd dogs top the Most Wanted list.\n\nOne of the stray dogs that #Sochi officials have tried to cull ahead of the #Olympics. This one so docile pic.twitter.com/yq5jEbsOqU\n\n\u2014 Matt Gutman (@mattgutmanABC) February 5, 2014\n\n \"As exciting as watching paint dry\" is usually used sarcastically, but at Sochi journalists look forward to dry paint.\n\nThe smell of paint is strong here in my clearly brand new Sochi hotel room. The paint is actually still sticky to the touch. #nprsochi\n\n\u2014 Tamara Keith (@tamarakeithNPR) February 3, 2014\n\n Opening Ceremony is on Friday, and they're still doing construction?!?!\n\nLoads of construction work going on everywhere inside the @Sochi2014 Olympic Park. A lot still to do. #cnnsochi pic.twitter.com/eyMik49U2P\n\n\u2014 Harry Reekie (@HarryCNN) February 5, 2014\n\nYep, definitely still doing construction.\n\nBreakneck construction here at #Sochi Olympic site. Will they be ready for the Games? @gma starts now pic.twitter.com/adxCAQosuv\n\n\u2014 Matt Gutman (@mattgutmanABC) February 4, 2014\n\nIt's the other #Olympic event - breakneck construction. All the latest on @gma pic.twitter.com/mY6dYGVviD\n\n\u2014 Matt Gutman (@mattgutmanABC) February 4, 2014\n\n But maybe Sochi will be ready for its F1 race this fall?\n\nA huge ad appeared in my hotel's lobby, touting Sochi's Formula One race this fall. C'mon, one thing at a time! pic.twitter.com/PEjWu1nQ4a\n\n\u2014 Juliet Macur (@JulietMacur) February 5, 2014\n\nThe Olympics has its hiccups every cycle. You may say that Sochi's apparent shittiness may be a function of modern social media; could the journalists of 1904 bitch on Twitter? Well, no.\n\nBut Sochi really has no excuse for its poor performance when you consider how much money they've spent ($50 bil), which is more than any other Olympics so far (and more than every other Winter Olympics combined). And that it's an authoritarian regime throwing this latest iteration only cements the Worst Olympics Ever title\u2014isn't that the only point of oligarchies, to get stuff like this done?"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.gq.com/story/sochi-worst-olympics>