Georgia asked the IOC to move the 2014 Winter Olympics from Sochi, citing safety concerns and tensions over the conflict with Russia. Russian organizers say preparations are on schedule and there is no reason to move the Games. Austria has joined the debate, and political struggle around the Olympics is intensifying.

On Thursday, it became known that Georgia had sent an official letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), containing a proposal to move the 2014 Winter Olympics from Sochi on security grounds.
An IOC representative, Emmanuelle Moreau, confirmed that such an appeal had indeed been made, but declined to comment on the matter.
The president of the Sochi 2014 organizing committee, Dmitry Chernyshenko, believes there are no grounds for moving the White Olympics.
"First of all, it should be noted that only the International Olympic Committee can make a decision to change the venue of the Olympic and Paralympic Games," Chernyshenko commented on the situation. "At the moment, there are no grounds for beginning consideration of the issue of moving the 2014 Olympics from Sochi to any other city. Construction of the Olympic facilities is proceeding according to the planned schedule and within budget. In accordance with the program for the construction of Olympic facilities and the development of the city of Sochi as a mountain-climate resort, approved by the Russian government in June 2008, the total number of facilities is 218, of which 14 are directly sports venues where the competitions will be held."
The president of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Russia, Leonid Tyagachev, fully agrees with this statement: "All IOC officials overseeing the Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014 give a high assessment of how preparations for the Olympics are going. The chairman of the IOC Coordination Commission for the preparation of the 2014 Games, Jean-Claude Killy, has repeatedly stated that Sochi meets all requirements for security, ecology, and transport, and is ahead of schedule in its preparations for the Games."
However, prominent sports figures in Georgia are trying to whip up a scandal and are making loud statements.
"We are not boycotting the Sochi Olympics. We are asking the IOC to move the Games to a safer place," said the president of the Georgian NOC, Gia Natsvlishvili. The main reason cited is "Russia's aggression against Georgia."
Austria has already supported Georgia's initiative. Austrian media circulated a statement by Salzburg Governor Gabi Burgstaller that Sochi is "not ready to host the 2014 Games." She said she intends to "again propose Salzburg as a candidate to the IOC." Austria already has experience with a "backup option": in 1976, instead of Denver, which announced financial difficulties, Innsbruck hosted the Winter Olympics.
It should also be noted that the issue of depriving Russia of the right to host the 2014 Olympics as punishment for the war with Georgia was already considered in September at a session of the European Parliament. There it received approval, but the final decision can be made exclusively by the IOC.
Thus, a struggle that is by no means sporting is flaring up around the Olympics, and it is still difficult to predict how these political games will end.