|
|
|
|
|
Article Details
Sochi: Palm Trees and Mountains for IOC Team
(ATR) The contrast of palm trees and snow peaks is the setting for this weeks visit to Sochi by the IOC Evaluation Commission for the 2014 Winter Olympics. On the scene coverage, preview, inside
 |
| Mountains loom over the tarmac of Adler Airport in Sochi. (ATR) |
| |
(ATR) It may be hard to think of Winter Olympics taking place at this same time in Sochi in 2014. The Black Sea coastline is balmy, basking in bright sun for the first full day of the IOC Commission visit, temperatures rising above 10c and not a hint of ice or snow where feet tread.
But cast the view to the east and the peaks of Krasnaya Polyana come into view 30 to 40 km away, capped in snow as much as three meters deep in some places. Sochi organizers tout the gentle climate on the Black Sea as perfect for hosting all the arena events on the coastline with the ski and sliding events 40 minutes away in the mountain zone.
The IOC Commission arrived late Sunday after 12 hours of travel from Seoul. Especially for the IOC team, their Aeroflot flight from Moscow arrived at a new terminal which is not yet open to regular traffic. Once finished, the terminal will replace one built in the Stalin era.
The commission will spend Monday quietly at a small five star hotel in Sochi, separated from the media hotel by a 20-minute drive.
The commission will go to work Tuesday in Sochi with briefings on seven of the 17 themes in the bid book. Other chapters will be covered Thursday and Friday.
Ministers from key government departments involved with the Games will take part in the presentations. Deputy prime minister Alexander Zhukov will open the meeting for Sochi 2014: he is President Putins point man on the bid.
Tuesday also is the date for the commission to meet with the Russian President, who will host a reception that evening.
The commission will make its tour of the venues on Wednesday with a trip to the mountains and a half day on Thursday for the venues in the coastal region.
The commission will wrap
 |
| The Black Sea Coastline on Feb. 19, what would be day 12 of the Sochi Olympics. A dozen sailboats are drifting offshore. (ATR) |
| | up its work on Friday with a press conference late in the day.
Representatives of Greenpeace have been invited to speak to the commission on Wednesday over concerns for the environmental impact of Olympic-related construction.
About 200 media are covering the meeting, most from Russia, and including all major wire services as well as Korean media.
A full media program is planned, separate from the IOC schedule, which was planned to have as little interaction as possible with the press.
Monday night in Sochi, Olympians Evgeny Plushenko and Irina Slutskaya will skate an exhibition for the media and the Mayor of Sochi will host a reception.
Signage in Sochi is as ubiquitous as it was in PyeongChang, with pennants lining the major coastal highway. The Sochi message may also be delivered to the IOC commission members as they watch CNN. A media buy from Sochi has placed ads with the music of Swan Lake on the networks ad schedule for sunrise in Sochi.
A swag bag for the media includes the requisite backpack stuffed with a fleece pullover, hat and mittens, a 1gb flash drive stuffed (actually only 1/3 full) with Sochi information and a Kodak disposable camera.
The media hotel is the 450-room SAS Radisson, the biggest hotel on the coast, comfortable and well-kept, the sort of hotel Sochi will need in much greater abundance for the Olympics.
The 16-member IOC team visited PyeongChang last week, the first stop in its tour of the three candidate cities for the 2014 Olympics. The commission will take a three week break to conclude with Salzburg in March.
On the scene coverage from the IOC Evaluation Commission visit throughout the week, at www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only.
Written By: host
Date Posted: 2/19/2007
Number of Views: 838
Return
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|