Russia will host the 2014 Winter Olympics
Thursday 12 July 2007

The Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi has won the bid to hold the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

Sochi narrowly defeated the South Korean city of Pyeongchang during the second phase of an International Olympic Committee vote, which was announced by IOC President, Jacques Rogge.

It was an historic decision for all countries, said Sochi Bid Chief, Dmitry Chernychenko. He added that, with this achievement, Russia will become even more open and more democratic.

The win secures the first Winter Olympic Games for Russia, which previously hosted the 1980 Summer Games in Moscow.

After the lengthy lobbying process, which required years of work and millions of dollars, three cities made final pitches before the vote.

While all three bids were backed and led by political leaders as well as former Olympic gold medallists, the Sochi bid was notable for the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The president made a rare formal presentation in English to the IOC in Guatemala, showing his government’s commitment to the bid by spearheading Sochi’s final push.

Putin pledged billions of dollars to develop Sochi into a world-class winter sports complex linking the Black Sea coastline to the neighbouring Caucasus Mountains, praising the area’s natural setting in the process.

On the coast you can enjoy a fine spring day, but up in the mountains, it is wintry -real snow is guaranteed, said Putin.

Source: CBC Sports