SOCHI, Russia -- IOC President Thomas Bach paid tribute Tuesday to the victims of the recent suicide bombings in southern Russia that killed 34 people and heightened security concerns for the Sochi Olympics. Josh Ferguson Jersey . Bach spoke at a ceremony in the athletes village to urge compliance with the "Olympic Truce," a symbolic resolution urging warring parties to cease hostilities during the games. "We remember and grieve for the innocent victims of conflict, and especially the recent victims in Volgograd," Bach said. "Our presence here today is a rebuke to those whose motives and goals stand in sharp contrast to the spirit of harmony and global solidarity at these games." An Islamic militant group from the North Caucasus region claimed responsibility for the back-to-back bombings in late December in Volgograd, about 640 kilometres (400 miles) east of Sochi, and threatened to strike the Olympics. Russia has mounted a massive security operation to guard the games, which open Friday and run through Feb. 23. Tens of thousands of military and police personnel have been deployed, along with warships, drone aircraft and anti-missile batteries. The U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution in November calling for a global truce during the Sochi Games. Similar resolutions have been passed going back to the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics. "We are not naive," Bach said. "We know our limits." The IOC leader said the Olympic Village is a symbol of peace. "Men and women from different backgrounds, different cultures, different religions and different perspectives live side-by-side in harmony," he said. Bachs use of the term "different perspectives" could be seen as a reference to sexual orientation. The buildup to Sochi has been overshadowed by an international outcry against a Russian law banning gay "propaganda" among minors. Activists and some politicians called for a boycott of the games over the issue. "We must never let politics or other outside forces spoil this spirit," Bach said. Among those attending the ceremony was Russian pole vault star Yelena Isinbayeva, who is serving as the "mayor" of the Olympic Village in the coastal cluster of venues. Isinbayeva made headlines in August at the world athletics championships when she condemned homosexuality, saying Russians have "normal" heterosexual relations. The next day, she said her comments in English may have been misunderstood and that she is against any discrimination. Isinbayeva declined further comment Tuesday on the Russian laws butSvetlana Zhurova, mayor of one of the other two athletes villages in the mountains above Sochi, said the issue had been overblown, was unfairly clouding the buildup to the games and she was fed up with fielding questions about it. Zhurova, the 2006 Olympic speedskating gold medallist , urged activists not to use the Winter Games as a platform for protests. "For the spectators it is more important who wins than whether he or she is homosexual or not," she said. "This doesnt matter. Im sure there will be no problems." Tuesdays ceremony began in embarrassing fashion for the hosts. As Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak prepared to speak, the plastic lectern collapsed onto the ground. Bach drew laughs when he said: "We can see that sport can break down walls this morning." Members of the IOCs executive board toured the Olympic Village, which will accommodate about 2,200 athletes along the Black Sea coast. Two other smaller villages are located in the mountain cluster above Sochi. Bach chatted with athletes, grabbed some lunch in the cafeteria and played table tennis in the recreation room. "The village is really magnificent," he said. "What the athletes appreciate is the proximity to the competition venues. I just spoke to a female American speedskater and Russian ice hockey player and the first thing they say is, We can walk from here to our training sessions." Bach has his own room in the village, keeping a tradition started by his predecessor, Jacques Rogge, though he also stays in a luxury hotel nearby during IOC meetings. "One of the greatest privileges of an IOC president is you can ask for a room in the Olympic Village," Bach said. "Its here where the Olympic spirit lives." Darius Leonard Colts Jersey . The 2010 batting champ showed what he can do when hes mostly healthy. Gonzalez homered, doubled and singled in his return to the lineup, and the Colorado Rockies snapped a five-game losing streak with a 13-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night. Kemoko Turay Colts Jersey .com) - Real Madrid claimed its 20th consecutive win across all competitions by cruising to a 4-1 victory at Almeria on Friday. http://www.authoritycoltsshop.com/braden-smith-colts-jersey-c-77/ . But qualifying for her first Scotties Tournament of Hearts after years of falling short in tough Manitoba provincial championships is as good as consolation prizes get for the 29-year-old from Winnipegs Fort Rouge Curling Club.CHICAGO -- No matter how this one plays out in the end, Joel Quenneville will at least appreciate the show the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles have put on the Western Conference finals. For pure theatre, its hard to match this. A wild series between the two most recent champions will come to a close with one final act Sunday, a seventh game in Chicago to decide who will advance to the Stanley Cup finals. "The quality of the hockey has been fun to watch and (its) been fun to be a part of it at the same time," Quenneville, the Blackhawks coach, said Saturday. The Blackhawks won a double-overtime thriller at home and took Game 6 on Friday night in Los Angeles 4-3 to wipe out a 3-1 series deficit, sending it back to Chicago. Now, its win-or-go home for both teams. Whoever prevails will host the New York Rangers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals Wednesday night. The Kings, who dropped the first three games against San Jose in the opening round and went the distance with Anaheim, hope to become the first team to win three Game 7s on the way to the Stanley Cup finals. "Were using all our lifelines so far, and we plan on getting the job done yet again," Los Angeles Justin Williams said. If the Blackhawks win Sunday, it will be the second straight year they advanced after falling behind 3-1 in a series. Last year, they dropped three of the first four against Detroit in the conference semifinals before taking Game 7 in overtime on a goal by Brent Seabrook after Niklas Hjalmarsson had one disallowed late in regulation. Chicago went on to take out the Kings in the conference finals before beating Boston for its second Stanley Cup in four years. The Blackhawks looked like they were just about out of it after dropping Game 4. Instead, they jumped back into it with two thrilling victories, pushing a thrilling series to the limit. "You can feel its high-level hockey thats played for sure," Hjalmarsson said. "Theyre a machine-like team. They bring the same effort to every single game so we just have to try to match that. I really think this series deserves a Game 7, and I think the crowd deserves it, too. And I think its going to be a great finish to a great finiish to a great series. Custom Indianapolis Colts Jerseys. " Its coming down to one after Chicago pulled out two nail-biters. There was that double-overtime victory in Game 5 at home with Michal Handzus scoring the winner, and Game 6 Friday was about as tense. The Blackhawks survived thanks to a late surge after the teams traded leads in the third period, with Patrick Kane setting up Duncan Keith for the tying goal and then firing in the winner from a patch of ice near the painted Stanley Cup logo with 3:45 left. "We know that we can still beat this Chicago Blackhawks team," Drew Doughty said. "But we also know its not going to be easy either. Theyre going to have their best game in this Game 7, especially in their home rink." It would help if they contained Kane. He has come up big in the past two games with seven points after being held to just one in the first four games. He had two goals and an assist Friday and four assists in Game 5, compared to just one assist through the first four games. Hes been able to find at least some open ice, something he wasnt able to do earlier in the series, and the Blackhawks are feeding off that. "We have to do the same things we did in the first four games, not the last two -- check hard and deny him the puck, and when he has the puck, give him the least amount of time possible," defenceman Willie Mitchell said. Now, this series between two powerhouses comes down to one final game, and both teams have come out on top in tough spots. The Kings are 6-0 in elimination games this year. The Blackhawks have won nine of their past 11 elimination games. "Competitive guys, they find a way," Quenneville said. "(Friday) night is a good example. Third period, it doesnt look good and they dont change their approach. We know we have some guys that can make plays and have some ability to score. ... Were playing a real good team that has a lot of similar attributes as we do, but we have to give our guys (credit for) what theyve done, what theyve accomplished and how they handle these situations." NOTE: Kings D Robyn Regehr remains sidelined by a knee injury and is not expected to be available on Sunday. Cheap Heat Jerseys Cheap Bucks Jerseys Cheap Timberwolves Jerseys Cheap Pelicans Jerseys Cheap Knicks Jerseys Cheap Thunder Jerseys Cheap Magic Jerseys Cheap 76ers Jerseys Cheap Suns Jerseys Cheap Blazers Jerseys Cheap Sacramento Kings Jerseys Cheap Spurs Jerseys Cheap Raptors Jerseys Cheap Jazz Jerseys Cheap Wizards Jerseys ' ' '