The Sochi organizing committee issued a back-pedaling statement Thursday, a day after its president appeared to contradict IOC President Thomas Bach on the rights of Olympic athletes to freely express themselves at news conferences, The Associated Press reported. Dmitry Chernyshenko said Wednesday that he didn’t think athletes were allowed to speak about non-sporting issues at official Olympic news conferences. On Monday, Bach said athletes would be free to do so. Organizers issued a statement “to clarify” their position, saying, “Mr. Chernyshenko simply meant that athletes are free to express themselves at a press conference – but of course they cannot use a press conference to make a demonstration or protest – similarly, they cannot use any Olympic venue to demonstrate.”
The 8-year-old New York state boy who died while saving the lives of six people in a trailer fire was laid to rest Wednesday — complete with his own fireman's helmet and the title of honorary firefighter. Tyler Doohan, a fourth-grader at East Rochester Elementary School, raced through his grandfather's trailer home in suburban Penfield early on the morning of Jan. 20, alerting friends and family to a raging fire. He was crediting with saving the lives of six people. The Penfield fire chief declared Tyler an honorary firefighter, presenting a personal fire helmet during the service at St. John of Rochester Catholic Church, NBC station WHEC of Rochester reported. Fire companies cross the country also added Tyler's name to their duty rosters in tribute Wednesday.
