Whether it was the oddly colored tap water or the unseasonably warm weather, there was never a dull moment for spectators or Olympians during the 2014 Winter Games.
It all started with the opening ceremony. After $51 billion dollars (roughly $40 billion over budget), the 2014 Winter Olympics were nororiously the most expensive Olympics in history. With a precedent like that, expectations were high and all eyes were on Sochi to prove Russia could handle an event as monstrous as the Olympics.
Everything was running smoothly that fateful first night until the grand finale, a series of snowflakes morphing into the iconic image of the Olympic rings. But one snowflake failed to morph into a ring and the first #SochiFail moment was born.
Since that event, stories of athletes dealing with interesting hotel conditions, incomplete construction and less-than-ideal course conditions have been constant. The variety of stories has been nothing short of entertaining: two toilets in one bathroom, athletes being wheeled around in luggage carts, bugs in honey, the list goes on and on.
Some stories of problems in Sochi, though, were more serious. Between high temperatures and dense fog, Olympians competing on the Rosa Khutor alpine slope did not fare well during runs down the mountain. Some were delayed, some crashed and others were seriously injured. Russian ski-cross racer Maria Komissarova broke her spine during a practice run in the Extreme Park.
As this year’s Winter Olympics comes to a close, America must bid adieu to their beloved #SochiFail, #SochiProblems and #SochiProbz hashtags. Olympic fans will have to wait until 2016 to see if #RioProblems will be trending or not.
