Toilet Situation At The Sochi Olympics Is…Crowded

Well…this is awkward.

On Monday BBC Moscow correspondent Steve Rosenberg tweeted out a photo of the bathroom accommodations in the gentleman’s loo at the Olympic Biathlon Centre in Sochi. And the accommodations are…let’s say…a little bit on the cramped side.

The story immediately gained traction globally, probably because the WTF design decision is a lot less unpleasant than the recent stories about gay persecution and three potential would-be suicide bombers wandering around the Olympic village.

Assuming the human rights violations and suicide bombers are sorted out prior to the games, the cubicle toilet situation could become one of the big stories at the Games. Particularly if the communal setup is the norm throughout the facilities in Sochi.

The unorthodox setup is particularly comical and ironic, considering Russia’s archaic national stance on gay rights—or lack of them. Two people of the same sex can’t share a bed without incurring the wrath of the government, but they can hold hands on the toilet.

Anyway, it’s official! I can now name three scandalous/ridiculous stories from the Sochi Olympics—which is one more than the number of American athletes set to compete there than I can name.