En route from Russia to Guatemala, where Sochi 2014 is preparing to deliver the highest quality final presentation to the 119th IOC Session, Bid CEO Dmitry Chernyshenko has declared: “The entire Bid Committee and stakeholders of Sochi 2014 understand that winning an Olympic Bid represents 2-years of intense and dedicated campaigning, until the very last day, the very last hour, the very last minute. This extremely positive assessment of our Bid builds on the excellent momentum for Sochi 2014 at the perfect time, when there is only 9 days to go until the IOC’s decision. It injects another dose of energy and enthusiasm in a team which, I can tell you, is already very passionate and focused!”
ATR Olympic Bid Power Index, which combines the analysis from Olympic-expert journalists and feedback from IOC members and other sports leaders, has awarded Sochi 2014 a global note of 83/100, which is an 8-point jump since the last ranking on April 22nd. Sochi 2014 is ranked 1st, together with competitors Salzburg and PyeongChang, and gets the best marks of the Index in the following areas:
Legacy: The sports legacy of a Sochi 2014 Games is one of the Bid’s greatest assets and is recognised as such by the IOC itself - the IOC Evaluation Commission Report states that “as one of the top winter sports nations, Russia would benefit significantly from new training and competition facilities (including alpine, sliding and ski jumping centres as well as Russia’s first multi-purpose International Winter Sports Training Centre in Krasnaya Polyana) which are greatly needed by Russian athletes to allow them to train and compete in their own country”. This legacy would also serve the needs of the International Sports Movement, standing as a new territory and offering brand-new facilities for International Federations. A strong intangible legacy, particularly in the fields of environment and accessibility, is also at the heart of Sochi 2014. The IOC could play a historic role in Russia’s future by spreading Olympic values throughout several generations.
Government/Public support: Sochi 2014 is a true public interest project, recognised as serving the general public by all of the Russian Nation’s institutions. As such, Russia’s Olympic Bid enjoys the unanimous support of all national and local authorities. Today’s unanimity is the guarantee for an efficient organisation of the Sochi 2014 Games, with a strong governance structure that operates transparently, responsibly and efficiently. This unanimity behind Sochi 2014 has received very positive feedback among the IOC, the Evaluation Commission report stating that "there is strong support by the Federal Government which is driving the bid. The respective roles and responsibilities of each of these parties, which include service delivery, finance and construction, have been defined in the FTP. The responsibility for delivery of all FTP infrastructure projects lies with an existing body – the “FTP Directorate”. The Russian NOC plays an active role in the bid, and athletes have been involved in the planning process. There is very strong public support for the Games".
Last Games: One of the most committed Winter Sports nations, with 293 Winter Olympic medals and a 50-year common history with the Olympic Movement, Russia would host its first-ever Olympic Winter Games in 2014. Already in love with Winter Sports, this historic first would place Russian people’s passion at a level never reached before, with full stadiums, crowds of excited spectators for all of the Games’ sports, and Russia’s best conviviality for after hours celebrations. By offering Sochi’s ‘Russian Riviera’ to the 2014 Games, Russia also promises a unique sea-and-mountain-landscape with perfect snow conditions as a memorable setting.
Security: Sochi has strong experience in hosting very high-level diplomatic meetings with not a single security issue, such as this year’s meeting between President Putin, Angela Merkel and Romano Prodi. The best experts are also on board to ensure absolute security during the Games, utilising the Security Systems Division of Siemens Building Technologies, one of the world’s leading names in sport security, employing its best practices from former contracts with Athens 2004 and Doha 2006. More generally, Russia has hosted more than 100 international sports events in recent years without any security incidents of any kind, it also safely welcomes 4 million tourists annually.
Marketing: As a new territory for the Winter Sports Movement, Russia offers 143 million potential passionate sports fans in a country where Winter Sports is a booming industry, and where the growing economy is gradually giving the people the means to access the best of the Winter Sports leisures.
Bid Operations: ATR Olympic Bid Power Index states that “Sochi 2014 wins a 9 for a team that has been the most cohesive and consistent throughout the campaign, from organizing committee to head of state”.
