Was the Man Responsible for the Olympic Ring Mishap Found Dead in Sochi?

By David Emery

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As shared on Facebook, Feb. 9, 2014:

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Man Responsible For Olympic Ring Mishap Found Dead in Sochi - Via Facebook

Netlore Archive: Viral article claims a man blamed for a technical malfunction during the 2014 Olympics opening ceremony in Sochi, Russia was found dead under circumstances indicating a struggle but foul play was ruled out.. Photo Credit: Via Facebook

Description: Viral article / Satire
Circulating since: Feb. 2014
Status: FALSE (see details below)

Example:
Via DailyCurrant.com, Feb. 8, 2014:

Man Responsible For Olympic Ring Mishap Found Dead In Sochi
February 8th, 2014
The man responsible for operating the Olympic Rings during last night’s Winter Olympic Opening Ceremonies in Russia was found dead today.
According to local reports the body of T. Borris Avdeyev was found his hotel room early this morning with multiple stab wounds.
Avdeyev was a technical specialist responsible for the Olympic Ring spectacle, which embarrassingly malfunctioned last night. Five animatronic snowflakes were supposed to transform into Olympic Rings. The first four functioned properly but the fifth snowflake failed to change shape.
Although his body was badly mangled and the wounds were consistent with a struggle, so far officials say they don't suspect foul play.
- Full Text -

Analysis: There was indeed an Olympic ring "mishap" during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia (per a report from the BBC), but as of this writing no specific person has been blamed for the technical malfunction, let alone found dead of injuries "consistent with a struggle" in his hotel room. (Update: Creative director Konstantin Ernst is considered the one ultimately responsibility for the production, but, as The Telegraph noted the day after the opening ceremony, Ernst is a close friend of President Vladimir Putin and probably needn't fear being "transported to the icy wastes of Siberia" or otherwise punished.)

The viral story claiming a technician was found dead under suspicious circumstances in connection with the ring debacle is a spoof published by The Daily Currant, a U.S.-based satire website with a history of confusing uncritical readers with fabricated "news."

"Our stories are purely fictional," the site's disclaimer states. It's always advisable to check one's sources.

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Sources and further reading:

Man Responsible for Olympic Rings Mishap Found Dead in Sochi
Daily Currant (satire website), 8 February 2014
Sochi Olympics: Ring Malfunctions at Opening Ceremony
BBC News, 7 February 2014
Sochi Opening Ceremony Glitch: 'This Is Bad, But It Does Not Humiliate Us'
The Telegraph, 8 February 2014