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Olympics: Russia to boost Sochi security from June 1

April 16, 2013 09:33
Russia will boost security at 2014 Winter Olympics host Sochi from June 2013, the interior ministry said Tuesday, after the deadly attack on the Boston marathon raised alarm about sports security worldwide. "From June 1, 2013, strengthened security measures will be put in place on the territory of the city of Sochi," it said in a statement, while insisting that security for visitors to Sochi had always been a "priority" for the government. sjw/zak/gd

Olympics: Russia's 2014 winter dreams hit reality check

March 28, 2013 00:30
Any dreams Russia had of dominating its home Winter Olympic Games in Sochi next year have been dealt a harsh reality check by the mediocre performances of the country's athletes this season. With most of the main winter competitions now finished for the year, Russia risks only coming fifth in the Olympics medals table if its performances at this year's world championships are repeated at Sochi 2014. The failure to win any world championship gold in biathlon -- a hugely popular televised sport in Russia -- has caused particular concern.

Olympics: Poland, Slovakia eye 'Barcelona Effect' for bid

March 27, 2013 14:01
The Slovak and Polish premiers said Wednesday they were eyeing the much-desired "Barcelona Effect" of economic growth as they endorsed their countries' bid to co-host the 2022 Winter Olympics. The "Barcelona Effect" is economic jargon for the long-term boost of hosting a major sporting event, in reference to the 1992 Summer Olympics.

Olympics: Russia saves up snow to ensure white Olympics

March 27, 2013 07:02
Russia has started to stockpile hundreds of thousands of cubic metres of snow to ensure the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi is not hit by unpredictable weather conditions. The Sochi 2014 Olympics Organising Committee has constructed a huge snow storage facility at the Rosa Khutor ski resort, which will host the alpine skiing and snowboarding at next year's Games.

Olympics: Russia '85 percent done' with Sochi preparations

March 13, 2013 11:31
Russia is 85 percent finished with preparations for the Olympic Games in Sochi next year, a top official said Wednesday as the International Olympic Committee concluded their latest check-up following this winter's test events. "After evaluating the organisational and construction work that has been finished, I would say we have completed that journey by at least 85 percent," Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak said Wednesday at a press conference in Sochi broadcast on a live webcast.

UPDATE 1-Olympics-Swiss exit good for possible Munich 2022 bid - DOSB

March 4, 2013 13:02
* Munich mulls new Olympic bid * Final decision later this year (Updates with more quotes, details) BERLIN, March 4 (Reuters) - Munich's chances of landing the 2022 winter Olympics should the Bavarian capital bid again have improved with the rejection of a Swiss bid, the German's Olympic Committee (DOSB) said on Monday. Munich was squarely beaten by South Korea's Pyeongchang for the 2018 winter Olympics and has yet to decide whether to run again.

Ice hockey: Japan's minnow women hit the big time

February 21, 2013 04:16
The star striker works in a pizza delivery office and has not taken a holiday in five years. Like her teammates, she scrimps and saves to fund her own training, using every spare moment to practise. But the hard work of Japan's women's ice hockey team paid off after they won through to the 2014 Winter Olympics against the odds, inspired in large part by the success of the country's World Cup winning female soccer stars.

Olympics: Cost-conscious Putin inspects Sochi venues

February 6, 2013 12:00
Russian President Vladimir Putin cautioned officials against cost overruns Wednesday as he inspected venues for the Winter Olympic Games that will kick off in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in a year's time. The sports-mad Kremlin chief -- pivotal in bringing the Games to the palm-lined summer resort in 2007 against strong odds -- enquired whether the project was running within the budget while touring facilities with his most trusted Olympic advisers. Olympic organisers admitted that both cost and scheduling targets had been missed because of bureaucratic mismanagement.

Olympics: rights group slams Sochi worker abuses

February 6, 2013 11:31
International monitors Human Rights Watch took Russia to task Wednesday over abuses faced by migrant workers rushing to prepare for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, but Moscow quickly rejected the claims. In a report released a year before the February 7, 2014 start of the games, the US-based group said many construction workers from post-Soviet nations had their passports confiscated and worked 12-hour shifts with few days off at the Caucasus Mountains resort.

Olympics-Russia to spend more than $50 billion on Sochi by 2014

February 1, 2013 13:01
MOSCOW, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Russia will spend more than $50 billion on preparation and staging the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak said on Friday. As of Jan. 1, 2013, Russia had already spent nearly 1.136 trillion roubles ($37.85 billion), Kozak told reporters following a meeting of the state commission on Sochi in the government headquarters in Moscow.
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