Olympians Fall for ‘Puppy Love’ at Winter Games

U.S. athletes keep one eye on medals and the other on cute strays in Sochi

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Ints Kalnins / Reuters

A dog looks on at a private dog shelter in Baranovka near Sochi February 8, 2014.

American Olympians who have spent years building up the mental and physical steel to bring home a medal from the Winter Games have shown their hearts are still vulnerable to melting.

There are approximately 2,000 stray dogs in Sochi, and many U.S. athletes are attempting to adopt a puppy to take back home, reports the Wall Street Journal. 

The local canine population reportedly exploded during the build-up to the game, largely thanks to the numerous construction workers in the area who provided food.

Skier Gus Kenworthy will be bringing home a silver medal and a pack of pooches from Sochi, according to his Twitter feed.

While a U.S. Olympic Committee spokesman was unable to confirm the number of U.S. athletes following Kenworthy’s lead, based on the Olympians’ Twitter accounts, “many are eager to scoop them up.”

[WSJ]