Woman who lit the Olympic flame sent a racist tweet about Barack Obama last year

[DigitalDrifter]

Rumors that Russian President Vladimir Putin's girlfriend, Alina Kabayeva, would light the Olympic cauldron during the Opening Ceremony in Sochi were unfounded, but the host's choices still had a strange twist.

Two of Russia's most famous Olympians, three-time gold medalists Irina Rodnina and Vladislav Tretiak, were the country's final torchbearers. Both have unique ties to U.S. President Barack Obama — one more offensive than the other.

An Olympic figure skating gold medalist in 1972, '76 and '80, Rodnina came under fire for what many perceived as racism in September, when she posted a photo on Twitter of the commander in chief and first lady Michelle Obama with a digitally manipulated image of a hand holding a banana superimposed over the couple.

While Rodnina, currently a member of parliament for Putin's United Russia political party, has since deleted the photo from her Twitter account, she insisted she had done nothing wrong in a follow-up tweet, according to the Guardian. "Freedom of speech is freedom of speech," she wrote in September, "and you shoud answer for your own hang-ups."

U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul quickly responded on Twitter, calling Rodnina's actions "outrageous behavior, which only brings shame to her parliament and country."

Rodnina's selection to light the Olympic cauldron seems to suggest otherwise from Russia's perspective.

[Related: Obama: US would not spend $50 billion on Olympics]

Her torchbearing partner Tretiak's link to Obama isn't nearly as controversial. Also a member of the United Russia party, the goalkeeper for Russia's hockey team in the 1970s and '80s has served in the Federal Assembly of Russia since his election in 2003.

Along with Rodnina, he reportedly voted for Russia's Dima Yakovlev Law in 2012, banning certain U.S. citizens from entering the country and outlawing Americans from adopting Russian children. That legislation was an alleged response to the Magnitsky Act, which was signed into law by Obama that same year and designed to punish Russian lawmakers believed responsible for the death of a tax auditor.

Apparently, the Olympic cauldron lighting wasn't the first time Rodnina and Tretiak worked together.

Y! SPORTS

 

[TheOldSchool]

Yeah but should we really care?

It's the other side of the freakin world after all

 

[WelfareQueen]

Moochelle does have that gorilla in the mist look. Just sayin.....

 

[TheOldSchool]

Moochelle does have that gorilla in the mist look. Just sayin.....

Really? After working so hard to be legit despite your offensive avatar and username you post something like this?

 

[TheOldSchool]

[MENTION=45104]WelfareQueen[/MENTION]

No response huh...

Way to go starqueesha

 

[WelfareQueen]

Moochelle does have that gorilla in the mist look. Just sayin.....

Really? After working so hard to be legit despite your offensive avatar and username you post something like this?

School....lighten up. You never made fun of Dubya or Laura-bean?

 

[DigitalDrifter]

Yeah but should we really care?

It's the other side of the freakin world after all

What does that have to do with it ? It's the Olympics, and the torch lighting is a huge honor. Past lighters have included Muhammed Ali.

 

[TheOldSchool]

Moochelle does have that gorilla in the mist look. Just sayin.....

Really? After working so hard to be legit despite your offensive avatar and username you post something like this?

School....lighten up. You never made fun of Dubya or Laura-bean?

[MENTION=20152]Publius[/MENTION] [MENTION=34226]novasteve[/MENTION] [MENTION=37134]ShootSpeeders[/MENTION]

There you go "starqueesha" I'm inviting some of your friends into the thread

 

[TheOldSchool]

Yeah but should we really care?

It's the other side of the freakin world after all

What does that have to do with it ? It's the Olympics, and the torch lighting is a huge honor. Past lighters have included Muhammed Ali.

Sorry I guess I didn't get my point across. I was trying to imply that you could go fuck yourself

 

[candycorn]

Did I understand this right that the gymnast is Putin's girlfriend?

 

[DigitalDrifter]

Yeah but should we really care?

It's the other side of the freakin world after all

What does that have to do with it ? It's the Olympics, and the torch lighting is a huge honor. Past lighters have included Muhammed Ali.

Sorry I guess I didn't get my point across. I was trying to imply that you could go fuck yourself

Nahh, not tonight. Some other time maybe.

 

[ScienceRocks]

How about freedom of speech!

 

[Stephanie]

Freedom of speech died when the "Dear Leader" was elected President



some people just eat, sleep and breath politics

now we can't even have sports

 

[Godboy]

Are all jokes with a racial component, racist? It might be offensive, but its still a funny picture. Busting peoples balls is the oldest form of humor. Being able to appreciate a racial joke doesnt make you a racist. I think we can all agree that Dave chappel was fucking hilarious.

 

[Katzndogz]

After obama thought he was going to embarrass Russia by sending a homosexual olympic delegation to represent the US, he should have expected a cheap shot back. It's rather amusing that Russia would choose this woman to light the torch.

 

[Vox]

the vast majority of Russians share her views, so her choice is absolutely not surprising, especially considering her heavy sports past ( for USSR, not Russia, but Putin considers it is the same).

She is an American citizen, BTW.

 

[DigitalDrifter]

Are all jokes with a racial component, racist? It might be offensive, but its still a funny picture. Busting peoples balls is the oldest form of humor. Being able to appreciate a racial joke doesnt make you a racist. I think we can all agree that Dave chappel was fucking hilarious.

Just depends on who you're going after.

Of course there was no problem with all the Bush-chimp cartoons, pictures etc.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Certain groups go out their entire lives butt hurt.


Please get over it?

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Didn't understand how it was racist until they explained it on the news. 'Here monkey have a banana.' ...Oh. Seriously? Thought it was more stupid than racist.

 

[Politico]

Yeah but should we really care?

It's the other side of the freakin world after all

No.