MOSCOW - When the organizers of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics chose three mascots for the games, they were aiming to satisfy everyone.
But on Monday, it looked like they pleased almost no one.
President Dmitry Medvedev is questioning whether the voting really reflected the people's will. The creator of Misha the bear, the mascot of the 1980 Moscow Olympics, says one of the Sochi mascots is a rip-off of his design. And firebrand politician Vladimir Zhrinovsky says all three are an insult to Russia.
The mascots - a snow leopard, a polar bear and a rabbit - were chosen in a nationwide television broadcast Saturday in which viewers voted by telephone and text message from among nine candidates.
The head of the Sochi organizing committee says there won't be a recount.
"The procedure that we chose was the most accessible and massive way of expressing will that we have in this country," Dmitry Chernyshenko said, according to the ITAR-Tass news agency.
People are also reading…
college golf
Cats open Bruin/Wave in second
The UA women's golf team was in second place Monday after the first round of the Bruin/Wave Invitational in Santa Clarita, Calif.
The Wildcats shot a 4-over-par team score, and UCLA led at 7 under.
Junior Isabelle Boineau led the UA with a 2-under 70 to tie for third place.
college Softball
WCWS stadium is upgraded
OKLAHOMA CITY - No longer will the nation's top softball teams have nowhere to get ready and nowhere to go when they're done playing at the sport's pinnacle.
A new multipurpose building that will house dressing rooms for the Women's College World Series was dedicated Monday in Oklahoma City.
The site has hosted college softball's championship 20 of the past 21 years, but teams previously had to put their uniforms on at a hotel before going to the stadium. After games, they'd huddle up wherever they could find a spot or use tents that were put up to provide some sort of shelter.
tennis
Querrey to miss Davis Cup
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Sam Querrey will miss the United States' first-round Davis Cup matches against Chile because of a right rotator cuff injury.
U.S. captain Jim Courier said Monday the right-handed Querrey had an MRI last week on his shoulder and was told by doctors to rest. No. 8 Andy Roddick, No. 32 John Isner and the top-ranked doubles team of twins Bob and Mike Bryan will represent the U.S. at Santiago from Friday through Sunday.
Includes material from a news release
5 takeaways from Arizona football’s 29-28 comeback victory over TCU | Michael Lev
