The decision to host the 2014 Winter Olympics in the Russian city of Sochi was met with controversy. Many skeptics, both in Russia itself and abroad, doubted whether it would be possible to organize everything at the proper level, given the enormous scale of the necessary work, and whether it was even possible to hold the Winter Olympics in the vicinity of a subtropical seaside resort. And what about the situation now, when there are only a few months left before the games open?
Visit of inspectors of the International Olympic Committee
Is Russia ready to host the Olympics? Comprehensive answers to this question have been received quite recently. At the end of September, Sochi was visited by a representative delegation of the International Olympic Committee headed by Jean-Claude Killy, which included numerous journalists. The guests were able to see the sports facilities on Krasnaya Polyana with their own eyes, while being caught in a snowstorm.
Considering that on that day the temperature in Sochi itself reached 18-19 ° C, the effect was especially impressive. And, by the way, one of the skeptics' questions was immediately answered: will the weather conditions in the subtropical city of Sochi make it possible to successfully hold the Winter Olympics? But in case of an unforeseen weather anomaly, artificial snow installations and snow cannons will be prepared for the start of the games.
Previously, the weak point was the inaccessibility of Krasnaya Polyana. The road there from the Black Sea coast took at least 2 hours. However, the organizers of the Olympic Games have solved this problem. A new railway line Krasnaya Polyana - Adler was built, along which the Lastochka high-speed electric train runs. It was on it that the inspectors made a trip, making sure that now the time on the road would not exceed 1 hour.
Visit results
Zh-K. Killy, after inspecting the Olympic facilities, answering journalists' questions, did not skimp on praise. He noted that in the entire history of the Olympic Games there is no example of such a large-scale, ambitious project that has been practically fully implemented. After all, when Sochi was declared the capital of the 2014 Winter Olympics, it contained no more than 15% of the necessary facilities.
But over the next few years, colossal work has been done. 11 world-class sports facilities have been built, about 200 tourist and engineering facilities, over 250 kilometers of new roads have been laid. "The result is outstanding!" - summed up Zh-K. Killy. And this can be considered an answer to the question whether Russia is ready to host the Winter Olympics.
