Media Watch -- Athletes Speak Out; Anchorage Considers 2026 Olympic Bid

Athletes and Media Divide Over Russian Legislation

Russian pole-vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva caused a stir in the sporting world when she defended her country’s recent anti-gay propaganda law.

"Maybe we are different than European people and people from different lands. We have our law which everyone has to respect. When we go to different countries, we try to follow their rules," said the experienced athlete who regularly speaks English to journalists.

"We are not trying to set our rules over there. We are just trying to be respectful.

"We consider ourselves...normal, standard people. We just live boys with women, girls with boys... it comes from the history."

Isinbayeva is now claiming her words were misunderstood as English is not her first language. Isinbayeva explains in the Chicago Tribune that while she advocates for respecting a country’s laws and customs, she also opposes "any discrimination against gay people on the grounds of their sexuality."

Jens Weinreich features an article on Isinbayeva in Sports and Politics. Following Isinbayeva’s "homophobic comments," social media erupted with discussions and mentions of the future Mayor of the Sochi 2014 Athlete’s Village.

Swedish track stars painted their nails with rainbow colors duringcompetition at the International Association of Athletics Federation(IAAF) World Championships in Moscow to promote gay rights. 3 WireSports covers the mixed responses to Russia’s gay propaganda ban at theWorld Championships, as well as other competition highlights at LuzhnikiStadium.

United States halfpipe snowboarder Elena Hight is among several Sochi Olympic hopefuls responding to Russia’s anti-gay legislation. USA Today reports that responses range from "outrage to confusion to support."

An opinion piece on Star.com explores whether Canada and the UnitedStates should boycott men’s hockey in the Sochi Olympics. Star.comsuggests this would send an impactful message to "hockey-mad" Russia.

Haaretz reports on the story of two track and field competitors, Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller, who were "sidelined by the U.S. Olympic committee in an effort to appease" the Nazi Party during the 1936 Olympic Games. The story demonstrates why Israel should come out "strongly and clearly" against Russia anti-gay efforts.

Colbert Nation features a segment on the IOC’s response to Russia’s controversial legislation. In layman’s terms, the IOC said to Russian President Vladimir Putin: "Whatever you want, Vlad."

The IOC reportedly cited the Olympic Charter section which states that the Olympics are not a site or protests or demonstrations. Host Stephen Colbert jests, "The IOC is just asking gay athletes to knock it off for a couple of weeks."

In Other News

Anchorage, Alaska will consider another run for the Winter Olympics. Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan recently announced he was forming an exploratory committee to consider a possible 2026 Winter Olympics bid. The Alaska Journal reports that an Olympic Games in Anchorage could impact its economy "several times over." Branding Magazine looks for remnants of a London 2012 Olympic legacy in the marketing industry. The article explores a new trend in advertising: "What we’re seeing is a clear shift in the way the world’s largest brands are conducting themselves, they’re acting more human (and perhaps, in turn we’re humanizing such brands too)."

Compiled byNicole Bennett.

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