[Straight Vermonter]

...while what would have been the normally frigid winter that usually has encompassed the Sochi region..

Actually Sochi has winters more similar to Atlanta than Lake Placid. It was an odd choice for a winter olympics.

Sochi in February:

[FBD]

Terrible choice. It was political paybacks. Check it out.

http://www.thesochiproject.org/en/chapters/the-summer-capital/