Gorbachev Supports Russian Sochi as 2014 Winter Olympics Contender

     Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev fully supports Sochi’s bid to be the 2014 Winter Olympic Games host, Interfax news agency reported on February 19.

     “Russia is a great sporting power and has made an enormous contribution to the Olympic movement but has never hosted the Winter Olympic Games,” Gorbachev said told Interfax.

    “Sochi is a good place and its nature is unique in its appeal and in its potential for the holding of sporting events,” he added.

     The International Olympic Committee’s Evaluation Commission will arrive in Russia at the end of February to make its conclusions regarding Sochi’s bid to host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Although according to recent reports nothing is ready in Sochi.

     “It is quite a difficult job to set up the essential infrastructure and to build state-of-the-art sports facilities there, but this is absolutely realistic,” said Gorbachev commenting on the question, “we need to speak less and start working hard.”

MosNews.com, 19.02.2007