Incredible Facts

Winter Olympic Games 2014 starts on Friday February 7 in Sochi and end on February 23.

The Winter Olympics are not as big as the Summer Olympics. The Winter Olympic Games include 15 sports, while in summer - 41 sports.

Here are some interesting facts about the upcoming Olympics.

The cost of the Olympics in Sochi

1. This most expensive Olympics throughout history. The cost of its implementation exceeded $50 billion, which exceeded the original budget of $12 billion. By comparison, the last Winter Olympics in Vancouver cost $8 billion.

Participants of the Sochi Olympics

2. Never before have so many countries participated in the Winter Olympics. Total will be presented 88 countries. Paraguay and Zimbabwe will participate for the first time.

3. The largest countries send the most athletes this year. Russia will represent 225 athletes, from the USA - 230 and from Canada - 220.

Mascots of the Sochi 2014 Olympics

4. For the Winter Olympics in Sochi was chosen three mascots: White Bear, Bunny and Snow Leopard. They were chosen by the audience during the voting during the All-Russian competition of game mascots.

New competitions of the Olympics

5. Expected 12 new competitions, who will make their debut at the Winter Olympics in Sochi 2014, including mixed team competition in figure skating and ski jumping for women.

Medals of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi 2014

6. Athletes who win gold on February 15 will receive special gold medals with meteorite pieces, who fell in Chelyabinsk on February 15, 2013.

7. Each medal weighs between 460 and 531 grams and took about 18 hours to produce. These will be the largest medals, the diameter of which reaches 10 cm. In total, 98 sets of awards will be played and 1300 medals.

Olympic gold medal

8. Gold medals will be made of silver, but gold plating will be applied to them. Its cost is estimated at $6,000. The last time, by the way, solid gold medals were awarded at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm.

Olympic torch relay 2014

9. The Olympic flame has overcome record distance on the way to Sochi – 65,000 km. Among the modes of transport that olympic fire made his way, there were: a car, an airplane, a train, and even a reindeer team. The torch has passed through more than 2900 settlements, and 14,000 people were torchbearers.

Winter Olympic Games in Sochi 2014

10. Sochi will become one of warmest cities hosting the Winter Olympics. The city is known for its subtropical climate and in winter it is quite warm and the temperature rarely drops below 12 degrees Celsius.

OK it's all over Now. Three years and nine months after the end of the 2014 Olympics, the Russian team is no longer its triumphant. It's a sport, it happens. Now it happens.

Zubkov, Stulneva, Fatkulina and Rumyantsev disqualified by IOC

In 2014, it was the goal and task - to show the sports superiority of Russia at the home Games. Nothing good or bad, the usual and logical desire of the "top", and - in any country. There was pride and joy. Today, November 24, only humiliation and confusion remain. The great victory, by whatever means it was won, was taken away. So far - without evidence and with a frank mockery of the laws of jurisprudence and logic. But only for now.

Which means automatic deduction of two gold medals won by Russia in deuces and fours. And no less automatic loss by Russia of the first team place in the standings of the home Olympics. Then, on the evening of February 23, 2014, this test pleased, sparkled and shimmered with wonderful lights. We were the best in all major indicators.

Immediately after the end of the Olympics in Sochi, no one had any complaints about its results. At least no one said it out loud. All samples of the winners of the Games turned out to be clean, and therefore the results were immediately entered into the annals sports history. At that time, no one had heard about the system of state support for doping in Russia, scratches on test tubes and plumbers from the FSB. Tell someone - they would twist a finger at the temple.

Russian athletes who lost Olympic medals in 2014 due to disqualification

Gold
Bobsleigh, deuces - , Alexey Voevoda
Bobsleigh, fours - , Alexey Negodailo, Dmitry Trunenkov, Alexey Voevoda
Cross-country skiing, 50 km - Alexander Legkov
Skeleton - Alexander Tretyakov.

Silver
Cross-country skiing, relay - Alexander Bessmertnykh, Maxim Vylegzhanin, Alexander Legkov, Dmitry Yaparov
Cross-country skiing, team sprint - Maxim Vylegzhanin, Nikita Kryukov
Cross-country skiing, mass start - Maxim Vylegzhanin
Speed ​​skating, 500 m - Olga Fatkulina.

Bronze
Skeleton - Elena Nikitina.

But in three years, everything has changed dramatically. The first impetus was given by the scandalous film of Hayo Zeppelt with the participation of the Stepanov family couple (remember those?), then there was the McLaren report, problems with the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, neutral flag athletes, countless courts and commissions. Eventually, it got to the point where Russian athletes without any evidence, they are deprived of the awards of the Olympics and suspended for life from participation in the Games. For such decisions, the commissions must have damning evidence at their disposal. But if they exist, no one is in a hurry to announce them.

Return to the 37th. Who will they come for next?

Unsubstantiated arrests of Russians continue. Today it is the Olympic champion Tretyakov. And tomorrow - Zaitseva and Shipulin?

In early November, the decision was made to disqualify Russian skiers. All Sochi merits of Alexander Legkov and Maxim Vylegzhanin were canceled, which deprived the Russian team of four awards in cross-country skiing. On November 22, skeletonists also suffered: Alexander Tretyakov lost his title Olympic champion, and Elena Nikitina was left without a bronze medal. All this led to changes in the medal standings, but there were no major changes. The national team of our country lost the medal record in the entire history of the team's performances at the Winter Olympics and let the teams of the USA and Norway go ahead in the total number of medals, but, according to the European counting method (gold is considered first), retained its leadership in the medal standings.

The third time he hit the bobsleigh. Of the three possible gold medals in Sochi, the Russians won two: Alexei Voevoda also scored in the twos, and Dmitry Trunenkov and Alexei Negodailo helped the famous Russian couple in the four. Double win became a truly historic success, because even the Soviet bobsledders managed to win the Olympics only once before - in 1988. The International Olympic Committee has robbed us of a historic achievement. The results of the best Russian crews at the Sochi Olympics were annulled.

Small consolation is the fact that in both cases, when the medals are redistributed, bronze will go to the second Russian teams, piloted by Alexander Kasyanov. Although the Russian team does not lose in the number of medals, it noticeably sags in quality: 12 gold medals turn into ten, which means that according to the European counting system adopted by us, our national team ceases to be the winner of the home Olympics. In first place with 11 gold medals is the Norwegian team. The Canadian team takes the second place, and the Russians drop to the third line.

But that doesn't seem to be the end of it yet...

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On February 7, 2014, the XXII Winter Olympic Games opened in Sochi. This is the second Olympics for Russia, the first - the Olympics-80 - is remembered even by those who were just a child at the time it was held in Moscow. But that was summer, and this winter - everything is completely different, and the country was again worried, as for the first time. The fact that Sochi, a resort city and the “summer capital” of Russia, was chosen as the venue for winter sports competitions, at first led to confusion. However, it immediately became clear that this was just another challenge, an additional reason for pride: Sochi became the first city with a subtropical climate to host the Winter Olympics.

Sochi's bid to host the 2014 Games was declared the winner at the 119th session of the International Olympic Committee on July 4, 2007. Traditionally, at the closing ceremony of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, the solemn handover of the Olympic flag to Sochi Mayor Anatoly Pakhomov took place, after which the Russian flag flew over the stadium and the audience in the stands and at the TV screens witnessed the presentation of Sochi as the host of the next Winter Olympics. Model Natalia Vodianova, prima ballerina Uliana Lopatkina, figure skaters Tatyana Navka and Roman Kostomarov, opera singer Maria Guleghina, and the Mariinsky Theater Symphony Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev took part in the performance. At the end of the performance, a huge logo of the Sochi Olympics appeared at the stadium.

The 2014 Games were held at two venues. The ski resort "Krasnaya Polyana", 39 km from the city, took sports outdoor: bobsleigh, ski race, downhill etc. Among other Olympic facilities, the Rzhanaya Polyana luge and bobsleigh track, the Rosa Khutor ski complex (its first stage was opened at the end of 2010) and the mountain Olympic village appeared here.

And in Sochi itself, a grandiose Olympic park was built to hold competitions in figure skating, hockey, skating, curling - in general, those sports that require indoor spaces.

The Olympic Park in Sochi included the following facilities:

• Big ice arena - hockey, 12000 spectators,
• Small ice arena - hockey, 7000 spectators,
• Speed ​​skating center - speed skating, 8000 spectators,
• Ice Sports Palace - figure skating, short track, 12000 spectators,
• Arena for curling - curling, 3000 spectators,
• Olympic Stadium, 40,000 spectators,
• Main Olympic Village.

The Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games in Sochi presented the logo of the Games on December 1, 2009, and on February 26, 2011, the results of the popular vote were summed up and three mascots of the upcoming Olympics were chosen - a polar bear, a leopard and a hare. The anthem of the games was a song recorded for Sochi's application to the IOC by Russian pop stars.

The Olympic Games in Sochi lasted 17 days, 92 sets of medals were played in 15 sports. The right to host the Olympics in itself means the recognition of Russia as a strong player in the international arena. And so big sport's event always contributes to the development of the infrastructure of the region in which it is held, increasing the level of attractiveness of the region for tourists and the international prestige of the host country.

Sochi became the first city with a subtropical climate to host the Winter Olympics.

In order to be involved in the most important sporting event in the life of the country, it was not at all necessary to be a member of the organizing committee of the Games. The Olympic and Paralympic Games would not have been possible to organize and hold without the participation of enthusiastic volunteers. 25,000 volunteers were involved in the Sochi Olympics.

Historical trailer from the opening of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi

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From 7 to 23 February 2014 Sochi hosted XXII Olympic winter games, which have become a real celebration of sports. During the competition, the best athletes of the planet competed for 98 sets of medals in 15 sports. According to many sports functionaries and the athletes themselves, it was best Olympics in history.

How it all began

The decision to elect Sochi as the capital of the 2014 Olympics was made at the IOC session, held in Guatemala on July 4, 2007 (in Russia it was already July 5). The application of the Russian city was represented by our famous athletes, sports leaders, well-known politicians. Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the members of the IOC.

Sochi's competitors were Korean Pyeongchang and Austrian Salzburg. In the first round of voting, no one got the number of votes necessary for victory (more than 50%). Moreover, Pyeongchang (36 votes) was able to get ahead of Sochi (34 votes). Salzburg (25 votes) became an outsider and dropped out of further struggle.

Difficulties of preparation for the Olympic Games

Sochi is located on the Black Sea coast, in a zone of humid subtropical climate. For the first time, the Winter Olympics were held in the subtropics, which gave it an unusual flavor. The slogan of the games was the expression “Hot. Winter. Yours." The first word reflects both the venue of the Olympics and the intensity of sports passions.

The preparation of Sochi for the games was complicated by the fact that not only the Olympic facilities had to be built, but also the tourist, transport, engineering and telecommunications infrastructure had to be modernized. As a result, this entire resort region was completely reconstructed.

President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach, speaking at the closing ceremony, noted the huge amount of work that had been done in Sochi in preparation for the Olympic Games. “What has been done for decades in other parts of the world,” said the head of the IOC, “was done here in 7 years.”

Olympic venues in Sochi

For the 2014 Olympics, two zones were created, located at different heights: a coastal cluster and a mountain cluster.

The first zone houses the Olympic Park, which was created in the Adler region. The following facilities are located on its territory:

• - Stadium "Fisht" (capacity - 40 thousand spectators). This sports arena hosted the colorful opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics;
• - Ice Palace "Big" (12 thousand), in which hockey teams competed;
• - Ice Arena "Puck" (7 thousand) - another building for hockey players;
• - "Adler-Arena" (8 thousand) became the venue for speed skating competitions;
• - Iceberg Sports Palace (12 thousand) hosted figure skaters and short track masters;
• – The Ice Cube Curling Center (3,000) was built for curling competitions;
• - Olympic Village.

The coastal cluster also included training arenas for hockey and figure skating, the Media Center, hotels for IOC members and journalists, the Theme Park, the area for the awards ceremony Medal Plaza and some other facilities. All sports facilities are located compactly, not far from each other and the Olympic Village. According to Thomas Bach, the Olympics was unique in terms of logistics. Athletes could arrive for breakfast and training on foot or by bike in a few minutes.

The mountain cluster is located near the village of Krasnaya Polyana, which is located 39 km from the seashore, at an altitude of 500 meters. The following Olympic venues were built here:

• – The complex "Laura" (for 7.5 thousand spectators) became the venue for competitions in biathlon, skiing and biathlon (cross-country skiing);
• - The Rosa Khutor complex (17.7 thousand), consisting of a ski center and an extreme park, hosted skiers, snowboarders and freestyle masters;
• - "Russian Hills" (7.5 thousand) - a complex for ski jumping;
• - Center "Sanki" (5 thousand spectators) - a venue for competitions in luge, bobsleigh and skeleton;
• – Mountain Olympic village.

Large-scale preparation is the key to the success of the Olympics

According to the unanimous opinion of the IOC leaders, athletes and journalists, the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi were a success. Large-scale preparation for the Olympics and significant costs were not in vain. The army of volunteers, numbering 25,000 people from Russia and 60 other countries, also contributed to the success of the Olympics.

The unofficial team standings of the Olympic Games was won by Russia. Athletes of our country won 33 medals. In total, representatives of 26 countries were able to receive awards of the XXII Winter Olympics.