I know I promised to shut up about olympic matters, but earlier I got wind that, due to Russia’s new anti-gay laws, gay competitors will now be prevented from going to the winter Olympics in Sochi next year. As reported here, the new laws are blatantly discriminatory against gay people. While I do not define myself as gay in a strict sense, I have huge sympathies with the gay community. I also regard an attack on one minority an attack on us all. Indeed this is akin to the russian authorities banning disabled or black people from competing, and thus flies in the face of the spirit of inclusion exhibited so joyously by London 2012 an the olympics in general. I’m incensed by this news, and although time is now very short indeed, would like to see these games re-awarded to someone else. Why should the IOC and the rest of us tolerate such bigotry?