Media Watch - Sochi 2014; 45th Anniversary for Black Power Salute

The Telegraph features ten iconic Winter Olympic moments as the four-month countdown to the 2014 Sochi Olympics continues. The list includes the "miraculous" win from Team USA’s "mainly amateur" hockey team in 1980, Australian speedskater Steven Bradbury’s gold medal during the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, and Tonya Harding’s failed plot to knock out her competitor, United States figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, in 1994.

MSNBC host Rachel Maddow wants to know why "any country would participate in the Winter Games with Russia as the host." On the October 10th of the "Rachel Maddow Show," Maddow scrutinized Russia’s adoption restrictions for parents in the United States. The ban came after it was discovered that a same-sex couple from the US adopted a child from Russia. "The new law even bans any single parent from adopting if they live in a country where same-sex marriage is legal," Opposing Views reports.

"It’s an interesting question for other countries in the world as Russia keeps moving on this stuff as to whether or not participating in the Russian-hosted Olympics implies some sort of tacit consent or approval for what Russia is doing," Maddow said.

The Huffington Post reports that while "western gay activists call for an outright boycott of the Winter Olympics in Sochi," the city's "discreet gay community wants athletes to compete – and wear rainbow shirts."

Russian dance icon Mikhail Baryshnikov joins the "growing chorus of celebrities, athletes and other public figures" in disparaging Russia's gay propaganda ban. Baryshnikov’s full statement discusses the "immensely enriching" influence the gay community has had on his life. "Any discrimination and persecution of gay people is unacceptable," Baryshnikov states.

Olympic bobsledder Elana Myers and her fiancé and fellow bobsledder Nic Taylor speak with Olympic fencer Tim Morehouse. The pair discusses their engagement and training schedule for the Sochi Games.

In Other News

Life.com commemorates the 45th anniversary of John Carlos and Tommie Smith’s black power salutes at the 1968 Summer Olympics. The two United States Olympic sprinters were "vilified at home for their stand."

Smith took the gold that year in the 200 meter event, Carlos placed third, and Australian sprinter Pete Norman won the silver medal. At the time Carlos was quoted as saying, "We knew that what we were going to do was far greater than any athletic feat." When alerted to Carlos and Smith’s plan, Norman reportedly said: "I’ll stand with you."

United States Olympic diver Greg Louganis has reportedly married his partner of 18 months, paralegal Johnny Chaillot.

The Washington Post’s John McDonnell discusses one National Football League player’s Olympic aspirations: "Robert Griffin III has talked before about how much he wanted to represent the United States in the Olympics…Griffin hasn’t stopped dreaming."

The IOC is launching a medal design competition for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) set to be staged in Nanjing, China. The winner will receive a free trip to the YOG opening ceremony which will take place on August 16.

The Japan Daily Press reports that in preparation for the 2020 Summer Olympics, the Japanese Olympic Committee conducted a survey exploring which musical acts could represent the country during the opening ceremony.

The Times of Trentoneditorial board discusses the economic benefits coming to New Jersey as the state gears up to host the 2014 USA Special Olympics. Senior vice president of the New Jersey Special Olympics Thomas Varga predicts the "estimated financial benefit to the region could be upwards of $80 million."

Compiled byNicole Bennett.

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