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dry."
• ___

• KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia (AP) -- Vladimir Putin isn't the only one with a lot riding on the success of the Sochi Olympics. Local businesses and residents have a lot to gain if these Olympics fulfill Putin's pledge to turn Sochi and its environs from a summer playground for well-off Russians into a year-round international resort for everyone.
• But that's a big "if."
• The limited number of foreign spectators at these games is dampening dreams. So is all the negative attention around the not-quite-finished hotels, and the many "For Rent" signs on empty apartments around the Olympic Park.
• So merchants are trying to keep their spirits up by looking past the Olympics to an upcoming new Formula 1 race in Sochi and the 2018 World Cup. Maybe by then, the tourists will come?
• "It would be nice to be able to stay open all year, so that no one has to take an extra job," says Marina Nagabedian, whose family owns a convenience store near the sands of the Black Sea shore, not far from Olympic Park. In the past, her husband took a second job in the winter to help feed their two kids, and they just "waited for summer again."
• ___

• KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia (AP) -- Rider after rider took a crash course Monday night on an Olympic halfpipe that looked only half ready with less than 24 hours until men's competition is set to start.
• There were dozens of falls, very few big tricks and a lot of complaining during a practice session that was pushed from morning to night while workers tried to make fixes. The men's event is Tuesday, and American Shaun White will be seeking his third straight gold medal.
• "When you see every other person fall, you know something's wrong," said American Hannah Teter, who took gold in 2006 and silver four years ago. "It's a little dangerous. I've seen more people fall today than I saw all season. It's dangerous

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