Online Survey Finds 89% of Voters Think Sochi is Unprepared to Host 2014 Winter Olympics

With over 2,000 votes a Tellwut online survey found that 89% of voters do not think that Sochi was properly prepared to host the Winter Olympics Games. In contrast, only 11% of voters felt that Sochi was prepared to be a host country for the Winter Olympics. The overwhelming response of 89% of voters that do not believe that Sochi is prepared to host the Olympics may be in response to the headlines that have been abuzz with claims, that despite investing 51 billion dollars into the Winter Olympics- more than any Olympic Game in history, Sochi is not nearly as prepared as they should be. Numerous accounts made by journalists and athletes claim that there are faulty plumbing systems, unfinished/furnished hotel rooms such as the Olympic hub which is still under construction, dangerous courses for athletes to perform on and the possible threat of terrorism which puts athlete’s lives further at risk. In order to find out whether panel members are surprised by the claims that have been made about the Winter Olympic in Sochi, Tellwut online survey polled their panel base and found that 60% of panel members were not surprised that Sochi was not completely prepared to host the Winter Olympic Games, while only 22% of voters were surprised to find out that Sochi was not prepared and 18% of voters were undecided about the situation. Although Sochi has been criticized for their hosting abilities, Sochi has also come under attack for their deplorable treatment and intolerance of individuals that do not adhere to the heterosexual norm. This has left some wondering why the games were held in a country that is known for their abuse of gay human rights. When asked whether panel members were aware of President Vladamir Putin’s anti-gay laws, 67% of voters expressed that they were familiar with the laws, while 28% were not and 5% were undecided. When asked whether panel members would boycott the Olympics due to the anti-gay laws in Russia, survey results indicated that 68% of voters would continue to watch the Olympics, while 14% would boycott watching the event and 18% were undecided on the topic. These results have proven to be accurate, as Sochi has garnered the highest TV ratings for their opening ceremony. While the intolerance of lesbian and gay individuals remains a human rights issue within Russia, it is clear that athletes will also have to contend with the fact that despite Russia spending billions to host the Olympic Games, their stay in the country may not be exactly what they expected as they compete for coveted gold for their country. About Tellwut®. Tellwut is a North American online community of individuals dedicated to expressing their opinions through online surveys based upon a wide variety of topics in exchange for rewards and the Tellwut community experience. The Tellwut community and proprietary survey and reward software application provide a platform for organizations to send surveys to their stakeholders or to crowdsource and conduct online market research through the use of the Tellwut survey platform and the Tellwut Community; thus allowing businesses a clearer understanding and insight into their products or services, customer attitudes and potential business opportunities.