s, abiding by a labour court order that th

[lw789]

LONDON -- What if they held an Olympics and nobody came? The situation isnt that bleak, of course, for the Sochi Games. Yet, with less than three weeks to go until the opening ceremony, hundreds of thousands of tickets remain unsold, raising the prospect of empty seats and a lack of atmosphere at Russias first Winter Olympics. There are signs that many foreign fans are staying away, turned off by terrorist threats, expensive flights and hotels, long travel distances, a shortage of tourist attractions in the area, and the hassle of obtaining visas and spectator passes. "Some people are scared it costs too much and other people are scared because of security," senior International Olympic Committee member Gerhard Heiberg of Norway told The Associated Press. "From my country, I know that several people and companies are not going for these two reasons. Of course, there will be Norwegians there but not as many as we are used to." Sochi organizers announced last week that 70 per cent of tickets have been sold for the games, which run from Feb. 7-23 and represent a symbol of pride and prestige for Russia and President Vladimir Putin. So what about the remaining 30 per cent? "We are keeping a special quota for those who come for the games, so that they can indeed buy tickets for the competitions," organizing committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko said. Chernyshenko said about 213,000 spectators are expected at the games, with about 75 per cent likely to be Russians. "Tickets are being snapped up fast with the most popular events being hockey, biathlon, figure skating, freestyle and snowboard," the organizing committee said in a statement to the AP. "With 70 per cent of tickets already sold and another ticketing office opening shortly, we are expecting strong last-minute ticket sales and do not envisage having empty seats." Sochi officials have refused to divulge how many tickets in total were put up for sale, saying the figure would only be released after the games. However, according to IOC marketing documents seen by the AP, Sochi had a total of 1.1 million tickets on offer. That would mean about 300,000 tickets remained available. By comparison, 1.54 million tickets were available for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and 97 per cent (1.49 million) were sold. For the 2012 Summer Games in London, organizers sold 97 per cent (8.2 million) of their 8.5 million tickets. Heiberg, who chairs the IOC marketing commission, said the Russians have cut down by 50 per cent on the number of spectators originally planned for the mountain events for security reasons. "That means there will be less people and probably less enthusiasm than we had, for instance, in Lillehammer," he said. "I hope the Russians will fill not only their indoor stadiums but there will be enough people in the stadiums for the Nordic events." Heiberg organized the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics, which stood out for the colorful atmosphere generated by passionate Norwegian fans. Sochis ticket sales began in February 2013, a year before the games. Tickets have been sold on Sochis official website on a first-come, first-served basis. Box offices are now open in Moscow and Sochi. The cheapest tickets go for 500 rubles ($15), the most expensive for 40,000 rubles ($1,200). More than half of all tickets cost less than 5,000 rubles ($150). The average monthly salary in Russia is 30,000 rubles ($890). The one and only authorized ticket office in Sochi was busy on a recent afternoon, with three dozen people lining up at what once was a waiting room at the citys railway station. Many, however, complained that all the cheap tickets were already gone. "Prices leave much to be desired, but what can you can do?" said Sochi resident Yana Ivolovskaya, who bought two tickets for bobsled for 2,000 rubles ($60). "Were not going to get another Olympics in Sochi so I thought I should go." Fans outside Russia buy tickets from authorized dealers appointed by their national Olympic committees. Attracting foreign visitors has been a challenge amid all the headlines about Russias law banning gay "propaganda," human rights issues and -- particularly -- the risk of terrorism. Back-to-back suicide bombings killed 34 people last month in Volgograd, about 400 miles (640 kilometres) from Sochi. On Sunday, an Islamic militant group in Russias North Caucasus claimed responsibility for the bombings and posted a video threatening to strike the Sochi Games. CoSport, the official ticket reseller in the United States and six other countries, said the Sochi Games generated "good demand" for tickets and packages. "We experienced demand at expected levels," spokesman Michael Kontos said, without giving figures. Flights to Sochi are expensive, and most international travellers have to go through Moscow, with direct flights to Sochi only available from Germany and Turkey. Western travellers must navigate the time-consuming visa process and requirement to obtain a "spectator pass" along with their tickets. This requires providing passport details that allow authorities to screen all visitors. "What we are hearing is that the bureaucratic complexity, with spectator passes and visa and so on, is what scares off fans, more than worries about security," Austrian Olympic Committee spokesman Wolfgang Eichler said. Jan Serenander, managing director of Jet Set Sports in Norway, cited a lack of tourist attractions in the Black Sea resort. "When Sochi was announced no one had even heard of the place," he said. "They had to get out their atlases." Die-hard winter sports fans, however, will not be discouraged. Orange-clad speedskating fans from the Netherlands are always among the most visible spectators at any Winter Games. "I expect it to be orange," Jeroen de Roever, manager of official Duch ticket seller ATPI, said of Sochis speedskating venue. "We have been sold out for quite a while." Vontaze Burfict Jersey . Left-handed reliever Boone Logan agreed to a $16.5 million, three-year contract on Friday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. Dre Kirkpatrick Jersey .The rookie goalie made 36 saves to help the Calgary Flames blank their Pacific Division rivals 1-0 on Saturday following a 48-hour ordeal that included lost baggage, a cancelled flight and a new pair of contact lenses. http://www.officialbengalsprofanatics.c ... ms-Jersey/. The Rainbow FlickNext up is the Rainbow Flick, or as you probably know it, the trick that everybody at soccer camp thought they knew how to do. Adam Jones Jersey . -- Jimmie Johnson has a sixth NASCAR championship in hand and two legends within reach. Darqueze Dennard Jersey . Hes had three top-10 results this season and feels ready to put it all together and finally hoist a trophy at the top level.SAO PAULO, Brazil -- A subway strike in Sao Paulo that threatened to disrupt the opening of the World Cup was averted Wednesday night even as airport workers in Rio de Janeiro declared a 24-hour work stoppage in the main destination for soccer fans travelling to Brazil. Some 1,500 subway workers in Sao Paulo voted against going back on strike in a pay dispute. They had suspended the walkout Monday amid a popular backlash and government pressure to end the transportation chaos in Brazils biggest city. "We thought that right now its better to wait," union president Altino Prazeres said, but added that he wouldnt rule out resuming the strike sometime during the monthlong soccer tournament. "We get the feeling that maybe we arent as prepared for a full confrontation with police on the day the World Cup starts." The union said its members would hold a march Thursday morning demanding that 42 workers fired during the five-day work stoppage are rehired. World Cup organizers are counting on Sao Paulos subway system to carry tens of thousands of fans Thursday to Itaquerao stadium, where Brazil will play Croatia in the tournaments first game far from the hotel areas where most tourists are staying. Even as tensions eased in Sao Paulo, labour conflicts heated up in Rio, where fans were arriving ahead of Sundays match between Argentina and Bosnia-Herzegovina. On Wednesday, check-in counter clerks, baggage handlers and janitorial staff who have been demanding raises of at least 5.6 per cent for several months voted to strike starting at midnight. The work stoppage will affect thee citys Galeao international airport as well as the Santos Dumont airport that connects Rio to other Brazilian destinations A union representative said only 20 per cent of workers would stay off the job for 24 hours, abiding by a labour court order that threatened to fine unions more than $22,000 if staffing fell below 80 per cent of normal levels.dddddddddddd The official agreed to discuss specifics of the walkout only if not quoted by name because he wasnt authorized to speak publicly. The airport workers strike is the latest unrest to hit Brazil as workers battered by several years of high inflation take advantage of the spotlight from the World Cup to pressure for pay raises from employers and the government. In the northern city of Natal, where the United States plays its first game Monday against Ghana, bus drivers will stay home Thursday for at least 24 hours to press their demands for a 16 per cent pay increase. Teachers remain on strike in Rio and routinely block streets with rallies, and subway workers in that city briefly threatened a walkout. Police in several cities have also gone on strike in recent weeks, but are back at work now. There also has been a steady drumbeat of anti-government protests across Brazil criticizing the billions spent on hosting the World Cup and demanding improvements in public services. The protests that began last year have diminished in size but not in frequency, and they also have disrupted traffic at times. ------ Associated Press writers Stan Lehman in Sao Paulo and Bradley Brooks in Rio de Janeiro contributed to this report. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '