Sochi Olympics: what to make of them?

Well, it's already been a week of Olympic falls and rises, ups and downs, cheer and disappointment. But as much as we sports fans are concerned about the sports, those of us who are also political scientists and IR researchers concern ourselves with a bunch of other things on top of that - politics, international relations, nation-branding, image, and soft power - the lot.

There has expectedly been an avalanche of related literature and comments on the Sochi Olympics, prior to the Games and ongoing now as we are in the thick of it. And I'm sure there will be much more afterwards. So I thought it would be a good idea to go through some of that writing and commentary on Sochi 2014 now and do a little bit of analysis. Perhaps, this exercise would be useful in getting across my view of these Olympics as well.

As I said, there was enough commentary in time for the coming Sochi Olympics days before the Opening Ceremony. Analysts, commentators and journalists expectedly engaged in discussion on the international and domestic context surrounding the Olympics. Above all these discussions, however, towers the main question, which is the reason Sochi was picked host city 7 years ago: How will the Olympics impact on Russia's international standing and reputation? And when it comes to Russia's international image in particular, everything is in the spotlight and being scrutinised to determine what is good and what ultimately proves bad for Russia as a result of the whole Olympic enterprise. This is not to mention that the Olympics tend to be politicised and thelmselves are a subject of contestation.

Once prior judgements are made about the international context, the domestic situation and Russia's Olympic preparations, more gets thrown into the mix as we reach the Opening Ceremony and the Olympics commence. The picture gets more complex as the Olympics progress: views get amended, hopes dashed or confirmed, expectations met or thwarted. Why am I saying all this? - Because our judgement and perception of the Olympics is bound to be different as we look at them from different perspectives, at different times, and in different circumstances.

There has been a lot of debate on whose side you are when it comes to Sochi 2014. Are you critical of it because it seems like there has been a lot of corruption and money-stealing involved, or are you happy that Russia is hosting the Olympics? From this follows that if you are a Putin critic, you are expected to disapprove of the whole Olympic thing. If you do like the fact that the Olympics are being held in Sochi, however, then you are sure to be a Putin supporter. - Well, I think it doesn't work like that really. For better or worse, humans are complicated creatures, and their attitudes are better understood if we consider different perspectives from which to look at the Olympics.

From the point of view of a Russian athlete the Sochi Olympics are a great thing - you get to compete on home soil, you get greater psychological comfort from the fact that you will be supported by many home fans, you feel proud that the most important event in an athlete's professional life takes place in your country. - I know it: my former schoolmate with whom I used to be great friends and who is competing in these Olympics feels like that, and it's OK. And any athlete, for that matter, wouldn't normally bother about the domestic or international context around Russia if the Olympic facilities are state of the art, the athletes' needs are met, and security fulfils its duty. Interviews with figure-skater Irina Slutskaya and tennis player Maria Sharapova (at 0:21) prove that point. All that athletes care about is sport.

There is also another level at which to consider the Olympics - an individual emotional level. The Olympics are a festival for many and a celebration of sport for sport-lovers. It's a big occasion that brings people together not only from the many cities of one country, but also from the many cities of many countries. Emotions are even more hightened during the Opening Ceremony, which is a feast for the eyes. So if this festival of good humour, friendship and togetherness goes well security- and hospitality-wise, criticisms of the Olympics are likely to recede into the background, if only for the short time that the Olympics take place as emotions are known to subside quickly.

When we speak of the Opening Ceremony it should also be remembered that the Opening Ceremony is a big show involving hundreds of stage managers, assistants, artists and actors, as well as massive planning and vision. In other words, it's no mean feat. The Sochi Olympics are therefore inevitably to be judged from an artistic and aesthetic perspective. How well the Opening Ceremony is staged, how professionally sound and artistically coherent it is, whether the message it conveys is unobtrusive and light and if it establishes a coherence between its content and expression. - On this account Russia, too, could or could not rank high in perceptions.  

Finally, there is inevitably a political perspective to the Sochi Olympics, their domestic and international context. Domestically, it means people debate the logic behind the Olympics and the way the Olympic preparations were managed. There are, for instance, allegations of corruption and graft, of displacement of Sochi residents and the killing of stray dogs. There is also a greater domestic debate around Putin's efforts to construct a stronger and more cohesive identity for Russia and as a result to legitimise Russia's current political rule which many find unattractive. On the other hand, some would argue the Olympics can boost Russia's economy and tourism and bring in much-needed investment, which is good (perhaps, I should have put an economic perspective in a separate category, but I will leave it for now). If this happens, then Russia's image gets an upgrade as a result and would further contribute to the economy and the legitimation of Russia's ruling class. Internationally, all the above debates are being watched and shared and reflected in political concerns over Russia globally. The prime question here is, how will the Olympics impact on Russia's image abroad and what place will Russia manage to secure on the international stage as a result of the Olympics, in the short and, most importantly, long term? Do the Russians deserve to host the Olympics in the first place?

The latter - political - perspective, I think, is ultimately all-encompassing, whether you like it or not. Of all the levels of perception that I've mentioned - an athlete's perspective, individual emotional, aesthetic and economic - any can end up being politicised and overshadowed by a political one. Even as the Olympics take place now politics is ongoing behind the scenes and is ever-present. Putin meets with heads of state and the Olympics are used as an opportunity and background against which important talks happen and international politics is forged. Just the other day he visited US and Canadian Houses, welcoming the athletes and checking if they were happy with the Olympics.    

So, we have all those different levels of perception that, in my view, help understand why there's such a variety of opinion of the Sochi Olympics and such heated debates about them at home and abroad. I would love to further discuss the Olympics by looking at the Opening Ceremony (which I personally found fascinating) but I will reserve that for my next Olympic post.