Sochi 2014 Looks Back On Successful Year and Forward To Continued Progress

At the end of a victorious year, Sochi 2014 have held their final Supervisory Board Meeting, where the Sochi Olympic organizers declared that they have ended 2007 on a positive note with all preparations for the Games either on, or ahead, of schedule.

Summarizing the results of the year Dmitry Chernyshenko, Sochi 2014 CEO, stressed that the Organizing Committee has successfully achieved all of the pre-determined targets and is now looking ahead to the major milestones for 2008.

Dmitry Chernyshenko stated the main achievements in 2007 as:

* Introduction of the Olympic Law – which saw changes to Russia’s existing legislation that will offer the best conditions for the Games preparation and organization.
* Set up of an effective and powerful administration structure - with the State Corporation and the Organizing Committee overseen by the President’s Council - which ensures that Sochi 2014 has the perfect blend of State and private as well as national and local involvement in the organisation of the Games. The whole structure is enshrined in Russian democratic Law and this gives Sochi 2014 the legitimacy it needs to pursue the construction of the Games within a very tight timeframe.
* Establishment of a trustworthy and close partnership with the IOC that has already started with the knowledge transfer processes and will continue apace in 2008. This mutual cooperation is aimed at organizing the most outstanding Olympic Winter Games in the history of modern Olympic movement.
* Construction work has already begun at Sochi 2014 key venues: the ski station and towers for a gondola ski lift are under construction in Roza Khutor Alpine Resort (Snowboard and Alpine Skiing); construction work is now under way in a Hotel Complex Karusel which will serve as the biggest accommodation facility for media in the Mountain Cluster; and the Gazprom Alpine Resort (Biathlon, Cross Country Skiing and Nordic Combined) is nearing completion of phase 1, ready to open to the public in the beginning of 2008.

The Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee CEO Dmitry Chernyshenko said:

"2007 was an amazing and very fruitful year for Russia, for Sochi and for me and my team. The success of the bid proved that Russia can rise to any challenge and succeed. We have now entered another race – a race to get the Games prepared on time and within budget. I am delighted with the start we have made. This is just the beginning and there are plenty of significant challenges that lie ahead but we are ready for, and will meet, these challenges. I am very proud to see the progress Sochi 2014 has made since securing the Games in July: we have a powerful administrative system, trustworthy partnership with the IOC and an approved schedule for the successful delivery of the Games."

Sochi 2014’s first goals for 2008 include introduction of the Olympic brand protection measures, implementation of the Master Schedule Plan and preparations for the IOC Coordination Commission visit to Sochi which is to take place on April 22 – 24.

Sochi 2014 starts sharing its knowledge with sport managers of the future

Today, Dmitry Chernyshenko, CEO of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee at the request of the State University of Management has started the process of knowledge transfer to Russia’s future sport mangers. A group of over 100 students of the university’s school of continuing education had a chance to listen to the lessons Mr.Chernyshenko learned from the specialists of the highest qualification from all over the Globe.

Knowledgeable professionals who chose pushing their career further by going back to school had a chance to pose their questions to the unique knowledge provider who gained his Olympic experience on-site through successfully heading the country’s bidding process for hosting the 2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. Areas of the student’s interests included questions on financing major sport events, sport sponsorship and brand value, TOP sponsorship of the Olympic Games, economic legacy left by the Olympic Games and many others. Overwhelmed by the students’ interest to the Olympic project run by him, Mr. Chernyshenko has announced a contest for the current course graduates. According to Mr. Chernyshenko’s announcement the author of the most successful final thesis will have a chance to apply for a job at the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee.

“Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Games will become a catalysis for the whole industry of sport business. It is essential that while getting ready for the games we could have the most professional and knowledgeable staff possible. It would have been our major mistake if we were relying on the expertise of the foreign working force only. Our managers not only have to know the processes but also be able to apply them to domestic specifics. To grow this type of local sport administrators we need to share the knowledge we have with those willing to increase their professionalism. We are lucky we can do it now while these people are getting to know the basics of the industry’s rules. This means that in a year we can expect to see graduated professionals whose knowledge a priori includes all the basics needed for the Olympic Games preparations.” – said Dmitry Chernyshenko commenting on the initiative introduced to the student audience.

Notes to the editors:

The State University of Management – one of the largest state higher education establishments of Russia, specializing on training managers. This makes our institution unique and original. Over 17 thousand undergraduate and postgraduate students are trained at the University.

Course in Sport Games management - a year long course aimed at the current professionals in management willing to have a career switch and work in the sport business industry. The course is created by the Moscow’s State University of Management in cooperation with the Federal Agency for Physical Culture and Sports.

Putin Signs Olympic Law (ITAR-TASS)

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the federal law on the organization and hosting of the XXII Olympic Winter Games and the XI Paralympic Winter Games in 2014 in Sochi, the development of Sochi as Mountain Climatic Resort and amendments to some legislative acts of the Russian Federation, the presidential press service reported on Monday.

The law was approved by the State Duma on November 16, 2007, and by the Federation Council on November 23, 2007.