2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia: How problematic is the location?

[Mr. Morden]

OK, I knew the 2014 Winter Olympics were being held in Russia, but I had no idea just how close the host city was to Georgia until I looked at a map just now.  I mean, look at it.  It's practically within spitting distance.  What if Russia-Georgia relations deteriorate again around the time of the games?

Pulling a quote from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Winter_Olympics#Political_stability_and_governance

Related concerns persist, regarding the region's safety and the desirability of hosting an Olympics in a conflict-ridden zone. "The region is such a muddied and bloodied aquarium of conflict that to pick out any one fish is impossible," says Oleg Nechiporenko, chief analyst for Russia's National Anti-Terrorist and Anti-Criminal Fund, in response to a 26 May 2010, car bombing, whose suspects include Russian nationalists, local mafia groups, separatists and islamists in the North Caucasus, or a remnant of the war in Abhazia[67]

Sochi borders Russia's six autonomous North Caucasus republics, home of the Second Chechen War and all of whom face "severe social problems that stem from massive unemployment and bad governance".[68]

Russian Envoy to the North Caucasus Alexander Khloponin told local law enforcement that "the violent scramble for assets" is likely to get worse as Russia invests heavily in tourist infrastructure and Olympic-caliber ski resorts.[69]

[SPC]

This might be intentional to prevent Georgia from reinvading Abkhazia during the Olympics again.

[Mr. Morden]

This might be intentional to prevent Georgia from reinvading Abkhazia during the Olympics again.

The host city was picked before the 2008 Georgia-Russia conflict.  If the IOC could now go back and decide again, they'd presumably pick a more politically stable location.  But it's too late the change now.

[London Man]

BTW, the 2018 games are being held in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

[Platypus]

Sochi itself is possibly more secure than anywhere in Russia, as a playground for the elite. I'd expect the same for the mountain venues.

[Redalgo]

If anything, I find it ironic that in a geographically vast, poleward country Russia chose to host the winter games in its only, relatively minute, subtropical climate zone. It would sort of be like if the United States opted to host a winter games somewhere in Kentucky, Alabama, or North Carolina.

[Stranger in a strange land]

BTW, the 2018 games are being held in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

The 1988 Summer Olympics were held in Seoul, which unlike Pyeongchang, is within North Korean artillery range, and the Korean Conflict has been nothing if not stable for the last 60 years.

[Nhoj]

Its highly doubtful that Georgia would act up, the various North Caucasus groups on the other hand might

[dead0man]

Its highly doubtful that Georgia would act up, the various North Caucasus groups on the other hand might

That's what I was thinking too.  Georgia isn't going to take a big dump on the world's stage, but Chechen Islamists might.