“Much of Sochi is a work in progress, and parts of it look at least a dozen all-nighters away from completion. There are unfinished hotels, half-finished stores and a mall where the only shop that is open and thriving is a Cinnabon.” From the NYT: First Event of Sochi Olympics: The Hotel Construction Sprint.

+ If that’s the first event, then the second one is the race to save the dogs of Sochi.

+ From Grantland: Just How Bad Is the Scene in Sochi?

+ Here’s Russia’s deputy prime minister responsible for the Olympic preparations trying to ease concerns about preparedness: “We have surveillance video from the hotels that shows people turn on the shower, direct the nozzle at the wall and then leave the room for the whole day.” The PR debacle in Sochi has gotten so bad, I wouldn’t be surprised if Putin brings in Rob Ford to handle damage control.

+ InFocus has a great selection photos (albeit, with no shower shots). Sochi 2014: Seven Years of Preparation.

+ Buzzfeed: The 33 best Instagram accounts to follow during the Olympics.