When the International Olympic Committee awarded Russia the 2014 Winter Games nearly seven years ago, Vladimir Putin made it clear that they would be his pet project. Officially, these Games are intended to reintroduce post-Soviet Russia to the world, while serving as a personal, unofficial capstone to Putin's 15 years as the country's leader. They are also meant to turn the host city, Sochi (a.k.a. "the Florida of Russia"), into a premium tourist destination for the well-to-do world traveler. That, however, will be easier said than done. Despite Sochi's reputation as the long-time go-to spot for R&R (both among the proletariat and Russian elite), trouble is as much in the water as redemption.