By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year

Alexander_Zhukov_December_2010December 28 - Sochi's preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics have been praised by Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov (pictured right), who has claimed that the Games will provide the country with a "positive legacy".


Zhukov, who is also the President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), made his comments at the final of the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee Supervisory Board meeting of the year, which he chaired at Government House in Moscow. 

The Supervisory Board presented an end-of-year report which covered the key areas of the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee's activities in the preparations for the Games.

Earlier this month, Sochi 2014 received an award from the Russian Government's Analytical Centre for its innovative approach to managing private-public partnership projects.

"This year, the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee has demonstrated progress in all of the 46 functional areas of activity," said Zhukov.

"Innovative, technological and management solutions which have been implemented during the preparations for the Games are recognised as the new international standard by the IOC (International Olympic Committee).

"Due to work being carried out in areas such as the developing the volunteer movement, creating a barrier-free environment and introducing 'Green' standards, we can already see the significant and lasting positive legacy the Games will provide our country."

Dmitry Chernyshenko, the President and the chief executive of Sochi 2014, was able to reflect on a successful year.

"The end of 2010 year marks a significant milestone for the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee," he said.

"Three years ago in Guatemala, we won the right to host the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and we now we have exactly the same period - three years - before our magnificent event in 2014.

"We have passed an important point in the preparations for the Games and are now entering the phase when functions of the Organising Committee begin to test their readiness for the Games.

"The innovative nature of the Organising Committee has become even more apparent this year, as we launched a record amount of innovations which be recorded in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Movement and leave a lasting legacy."

Russia_House_Vancouver_Olympics

In their comments regarding the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee's work during 2010, the members of the Supervisory Board highlighted the key projects implemented during the year, including promoting the Games at the Vancouver Olympics and Paralympics where Sochi's Russia House (pictured) became a real point of interest in Vancouver.

Approximately 120,000 people visited the venue during the 17 days it was open at the Games. 

Sochi's marketing programme was also judged to be a remarkable success, having already raised over $1.1 billion (£712 million), a record in history of Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

During 2010, agreements with OSAO Ingosstrakh and OAO RZD were completed.

A total of nine major Russian and international companies, each a leader in its area of business expertise, became domestic partners of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

The success of the marketing programme allowed the Sochi 2014 to be fully self funding during 2010, which permits the state funds allocated in the Games budget to a used at a later period.

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