The hosting of the Olympic Games is a great honor both for the host country and for the city where the athletes' competitions will be held. However, it is also a very troublesome, complex and costly undertaking. Nevertheless, there are many examples of how the holding of high-ranking sports events contributed to the transformation of the city, making it more beautiful and more convenient for residents and guests. And the city of Sochi, where the Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held in February-March next year, is no exception.
What sports facilities were built for the Olympics
A huge Olympic Park has emerged in the coastal zone of the city. A number of sports facilities have been built there, including the Fisht stadium, designed for 40 thousand spectators, an ice palace that can accommodate 12 thousand people, arenas for curling, short track, figure skating, and speed skating. A Disneyland-style Sochi Park and a Formula 1 race track will also be built there.
Three sports resorts were created about 40 kilometers from the city center near the mountain village of Krasnaya Polyana: Rosa Khutor, Gornaya Karusel and Laura. There are jumps for flying skiers, a chute with artificial ice for bobsledders and sledges over 1800 meters long, a shooting range for biathletes and much more.
To accommodate athletes, coaches, doctors, massage therapists and other members of national teams, the Olympic Village was built, consisting of several dozen cozy low-rise buildings. After the end of the Olympics, they will be used as resort hotels.
How urban infrastructure has changed
The city itself has changed a lot. New residential neighborhoods, educational and medical institutions were built, more than 250 kilometers of new roads with convenient interchanges were laid. Much attention was paid to making all this accessible to citizens with disabilities. There are many ramps at the entrances to underground passages, shopping centers, residential and office buildings.
A railway line Adler-Krasnaya Polyana was laid, thanks to which it is now possible to get to the competition sites for skiers, biathletes and sledges in 1 hour, without fear of getting into a traffic jam. New parks and squares have appeared. And, of course, a number of hotels were built to accommodate the many guests of the city, both Russians and foreigners, who will come to watch the Olympic Games.
