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In Pictures: Spotlight on Sochi

Athletes ramp up preparations for the controversial 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Russia in February.

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Justin Dorey of Canada is victorious at the halfpipe finals at the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup in Calgary [AFP]
Published On 4 Jan 2014

Politics has overshadowed preparations to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, amid concerns about security and human rights.

The US has offered security help following two deadly suicide bombings struck Volgograd, 650 kilometres northeast of Sochi, in December.

Russia’s new laws banning what Moscow’s Duma calls “gay propaganda” has caused outrage around the world, as rights advocates including tennis great Martina Navratilova have accuse the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of not doing enough to defend the rights of gay athletes.

But the IOC has expressed confidence that the Sochi Games will be safe and Russian President Vladimir Putin has moved to reassure athletes that they will not be discriminated against at the event.

Organisers hope that the focus will shift to the competing athletes when the Games begin on February 7.

 

Sara Takanashi of Japan in action during the Women(***)s Ski Jumping HS106 at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships [Getty Images]
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The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic torch relay on December 31 shows a torchbearer carrying an Olympic torch in the Volga River city of Kazan. The flame will be carried across the country through all 83 of its regions [AFP]
Michigan Stadium during the 2014 WinterClassic hockey game where the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated Detroit Red Wings 3-2 infront of a record 105,000 crowd [Reuters]
Finland(***)s Kaisa Makarainen competes in the women(***)s 7.5km sprint during the IBU Biathlon World Cup on January 3 in Oberhof, Germany [Getty Images]
The US four-man team, piloted by Steven Holcomb, are shaping up to be strong contenders for a Sochi medal [AFP]
Alexander Tretiakov of Russia finishes in first place at the IBSF men(***)s skeleton World Cup at Utah Olympic Park.
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An aerial view from a helicopter shows the nearly complete Olympic Park in the Adler district of the Black Sea resort city of Sochi [Reuters]
Twelve time World Cup medallist Jessica Smith, right, skates in the second ladies 1,500 metre final during the US Olympic Short Track Trials [Getty Images]