Sochi 2014 Touches Base With EOC

Dmitry Chernyshenko, President and CEO of the Sochi 2014 Olympics, assures the European Olympic Committee(EOC) everything is on track and within budget.  At a meeting in Istanbul, Chernyshenko said that the design works of seven venues has already been completed.  And that 100 per cent of the land for sports venues has already been allocated.
Chernyshenko highlighted the environmental and education legacy that Sochi 2014 would leave behind. Chernyshenko said, "the Russian Government has already launched the Environment Program for Sochi 2014. Another environmental initiative is the initiative to re-introduce the Snow Leopard to the Caucasus Mountains. This is under the personal supervision of Prime Minister Putin and Jean-Claude Killy. Sochi 2014's sustainable legacy is also demonstrated by creation of the Russian Olympic University in Sochi. This university will become a world centre of learning for the sports and events industry", he said.
Despite having an economic down-turn none of the venues will be taken out, but Dmitry Kozak, Deputy Prime Minister of the preparations for the Games, said he will be reviewing the spending.  Read more here.

Georgia Wants Olympics Moved Out of Sochi

Early this week Georgia wrote a letter to the International Olympic Committee, requesting that the 2014 Winter Olympics be moved from Russia.  The Georgian delegation claims that Sochi is in the middle of a Very dangerous region, and questioned whether spectators and athletes would be safe. 

In August, Russia and Georgia fought a war, when Georgia launched an attack on South Ossetia.  Russian forces repelled the attack, drove into Georgia and stayed there for weeks. Georgia was rebuffed Friday in its bid to get the 2014 Winter Olympics moved out of the Russian resort of Sochi for security reasons. Patrick Hickey, president of the European Olympic body, cut in to respond instead of Chernyshenko.

"We have great respect for your country, but this is an organization for sport and not for politics," he said. "We cannot discuss these issues. You've had your say. The IOC is very satisfied with the guarantees given by the Russian NOC (national Olympic committee), the organizing committee and the Russian government." Read more here.

Salzburg Ready for the Olympics, Just In Case...

There's skepticism about whether Russia will be able to follow through with it's Olympic dreams.  According to this article, Salzburg governor Gabi Burgstaller says they are ready to host the Olympics if Russia were to fall behind with construction of the venues for the games. Burgstaller told the WirtschaftsBlatt business newspaper:

"Our great advantage is that we already have the venues in place. If the IOC needs us and it gives us a share of the revenue generated by the games, I'm there."

The paper claimed only a small part of the considerable infrastructure needed for the games in Sochi was already in place and that the Russian resort had not managed to find a construction company for the skating rink. Jean-Claude Killy, the president of the co-ordination commission for the 2014 Games, said he had been firm with the Sochi organisers in August, urging them to not lose time in getting things ready.

The former triple Olympic skiing champion said the organisers would need to work day and night to ensure everything was ready in five and a half years time.

Sochi Gets a New Wrestling Complex for 2014 Games

A new "world-class" wrestling training complex opened Monday for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games, named after three times Olympic Greco-Roman Champion Alexander Karelin. The complex has the capacity to train ten teams simultaneously.

The opening ceremony was attended by Sochi 2014 President and CEO Dmitry Chernyshenko; State Duma deputy and Olympic gymnastics champion Svetlana Khorkina; and State Duma Committee for Physical Culture and Sport, and Olympic figure skating champion Anton Sikharulidze.

Chernyshenko said at the ceremony, "we can already see real results of Sochi becoming one of the main sports centres in Russia - the opening of this new sports training complex is perfect proof of this. Children from all over the country will be able to train here." Read the whole story here.

Major Hotel Brand Coming to Sochi 2014 Olympics

The resort city of Sochi, one of Russia's most popular tourist destinations will be adding a new hotel, just in time for the 2014 Olympic Games.  The city is getting a boost in it's economy with several international tourism companies openeing up, including Hertz which opened three branches, Austrian Airlines, and Radisson SAS.

"Sochi 2014 today heralded the announcement that the international hotel chain, Sheraton, plans to open a hotel in Russia’s host city for the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The new hotel development, which will open in 2011, is a further example of major investment into Sochi as a result of the city being awarded the right to host Russia’s first ever Winter Games. The new 200+ room hotel will play an important role in the transformation of Sochi, which is already Russia’s most popular summer tourist destination welcoming more than four million visitors a year. The area currently boasts around 400 2-5 star hotels, with that number set to increase significantly up to 2014 and beyond. Dmitry Chernyshenko, President and CEO of Sochi 2014, said: “I am delighted that Starwood Hotels and Resorts has chosen Sochi to build only the second Sheraton Hotel in Russia. More than five years before Russia’s first Winter Games takes place it is already acting as a major catalyst for investment in the Krasnodar Region. This will create a significant economic legacy for the people of Sochi, including new jobs, while providing a huge opportunity for the companies recognising the potential of our beautiful Black Sea resort.” The Sochi Sheraton will be a top-of-the-range hotel, including five restaurants, four bars, including a roof-top bar with views of the Black Sea and its surroundings."

For more on this story go to http://www.etravelblackboardasia.com

Winter Olympics an Explosive Subject in Sochi

The fire works are starting early in Sochi, for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.  There is speculations that the Moscow mafia (reportedly led by Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov) is sending a message- they too want a slice of the Olympic pie, in the form of contracting bids and other opportunities regarding the games.

On Monday, Nov. 11, a man was badly injured when a device went off in his hand.  The man's arm was blown off when he picked up a tin can that was on his car and had been rigged with an explosive.  This is the sixth explosion to happen in Sochi this year.

"Previous incidents include an Aug. 7 blast where a device concealed in a paper bag along the beach exploded, killing two people and wounding seven others, and a July 2 explosion in an apartment building that left two people dead. Another explosion April 4 sent one man to the hospital after he apparently picked up an unknown explosive device. All of the attacks have been small, and only two of the six resulted in fatalities. In at least three of the incidents, someone was actually holding the explosive device yet was not killed, a sign that the attacks were intended not to kill, but to issue a warning. A Stratfor source has indicated that this activity is the work of organized crime — always a force to reckon with in Russia and the former Soviet Union." "Unlike typical organized crime hits (especially those carried out by the Moscow mob) in Russia, the Sochi attacks have remained relatively subtle. This is because the Kremlin has Luzhkov on a short leash. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev naturally do not wish to see the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics turn into a killing floor and will act quickly to rein in Luzhkov if his group gets too violent. Thus, the blasts in Sochi are meant for a local, rather than a national or international, audience. As long as they remain low-key, the attacks do not pose a threat to overall stability in Sochi, and the region and will remain within the realm of organized criminal activity."

For more on this story go to http://georgiandaily.com/

Ded Moroz for Olympic Mascot

Have you ever heard of Ded Moroz? Well, me neither - but in their apparent eagerness to usher in the era of the 2014 Winter Olympics, the residents of Sochi, Russia jumped the gun a wee bit and held a very unofficial referendum regarding potential mascots. Under consideration were the easily recognizable snowflake, polar bear, & dolphin. Rounding out the list is a figure that will be unfamiliar to many: Ded Moroz. Ded Moroz is a mythological figure with a fascinating history. Similar in appearance and function to Santa Claus, Ded swept onto the scene as giver of gifts in the late 19th century by beating back fierce competition to be Russia's non-church affiliated annual giver of gifts (yes, I know this description really destroys the magic of it all). It was a competition in which he trounced poor Saint Nick and many many others. Like Saint Nick, there is a strong association with Winter and Ded Moroz is often considered a 'Father Winter' figure. None of this is to say that Ded did not walk a long road to fame prior to the 19th century. Indeed, his roots extend far back to pagan traditions. Flashing forward to March 2008 - Ded Moroz for Olympic mascot? Ded's climb to the the top seems to have stalled. Sochi residents squelched Ded's ambitions this March when they voted for the doplhin on skis as the Olympic mascot. I am a little disappointed - Ded could have been one of the most interesting and educational mascots in recent memory. Then again, the early renderings of the Ded mascot lead me to think that a sizable chunk of the world would be left wondering what Santa is doing at the Olympics. It is not entirely over for Ded however - the official decision on the 2014 mascot will not be decided until 2011 at the earliest. Vote Ded! For More Information: Photo by Rogue Soul under creative commons attribution 2.0 license.

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