Sochi 2014 delivers IOC an update

The count-down to the Olympic Games in Vancouver isn’t the only one underway. Sochi 2014 – the host of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games – has delivered an update on the strong recent progress it has made in preparations for Russia’s first Winter Games to the Executive Board of the IOC in Lausanne (SUI), outlining the team’s achievements with 1688 days remain until the start of the 2014 Games.

During the Sochi Games, to be held from Feb. 7-23, 2014, the skiing events will be staged around the village of Krasnaya Polyana, about a 40 minute journey from the Olympic Park. Both the Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding events are planned to be carried out to the west of the Rosa Khutor Plateau on the Aibga Ridge where a Snowboard Park and a Freestyle Center will be created. Originally, the Freestyle venue was planned at another location, but following a proposal from the FIS President, and a technical inspection, the Freestyle site was relocated to Aibga Ridge. This facility is scheduled to be put into operation in November 2011 for test competitions during the 2011/2012 season.

The count-down to the Olympic Games in Vancouver isn’t the only one underway. Sochi 2014 – the host of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games – has delivered an update on the strong recent progress it has made in preparations for Russia’s first Winter Games to the Executive Board of the IOC in Lausanne (SUI), outlining the team’s achievements with 1688 days remain until the start of the 2014 Games.

During the Sochi Games, to be held from Feb. 7-23, 2014, the skiing events will be staged around the village of Krasnaya Polyana, about a 40 minute journey from the Olympic Park. Both the Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding events are planned to be carried out to the west of the Rosa Khutor Plateau on the Aibga Ridge where a Snowboard Park and a Freestyle Center will be created. Originally, the Freestyle venue was planned at another location, but following a proposal from the FIS President, and a technical inspection, the Freestyle site was relocated to Aibga Ridge. This facility is scheduled to be put into operation in November 2011 for test competitions during the 2011/2012 season.

As planned for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada, Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding will share a single venue in 2014, which brings some logistical challenges but also many significant synergies. The Aibga Ridge venue will be split in two sections: One focusing on the timed events – snowboard cross, ski cross and parallel giant slalom – and the other one on the judged events, half-pipe, moguls and aerials. This will enable the creation of the right atmosphere for each event.

“The Aibga Ridge area offers great promise for our sport. While significant work remains to be done, the basics for an excellent future training and competition center are surely there,” commented Joseph Fitzgerald, FIS Freestyle Coordinator. “Russia is historically one of the major Freestyle nations and with the emergence of several young talented skiers, especially in aerials, moguls and now ski cross, we are bound to have a great show at the Sochi Games. The two aerial Freestyle FIS World Cup events staged on the massive ramp on the Moscow University grounds have delivered spectacular audiences and amazing atmosphere.” He added: “Young aerialist Vladimir Lebedev, bronze medalist at the 2006 Turin Olympics and holder of the honorary title of Master of Sports of Russia, was also recently named an Ambassador for Sochi 2014 and he will help promote the sport in the country.”

Russia has been collecting experience with high-level event organization in the FIS Snowboard World Cup. Four annual big air events have been staged on a ramp in Moscow since 2005, along with two parallel slalom events (ladies and men each) and a big air event in St. Petersburg as well as two parallel slalom events (for both genders) in Shukolovo in the last few years.

“We see great potential in the Russian market for Snowboarding and especially look forward to the first parallel slalom event on the famous ramp in Moscow in early March right after the Vancouver Games,” commented Marcel Looze, FIS Snowboard Race Director. “Continuing education of competition officials and collection of top event organization experience are probably the highest priority in the next few years in the build-up to the Games.”

Obviously, the building of a brand new competition venue represents a much greater challenge than extending or refurbishing an established ski area for the purposes of a major event. Little over two-and-a-half years remains to complete venues under the fast-track construction timetable. The next visit of the IOC Coordination Commission chief, ski legend Jean-Claude Killy to Sochi is scheduled for the second half of July. – FIS News