SOCHI, Russia: A medals headache may be building for organisers of the Sochi Winter Olympics as officials wrestle with the logistics of transporting athletes who win events in the mountains down to the Black Sea coast to receive their medals.
Of the 98 medal events at the 2014 Games, 69 will be decided in the mountains. All medals, though, will be awarded some 48 kilometres away at the coastal plaza.
With media commitments and anti-doping testing at venues immediately post-competition, and some events finishing late at night, this will likely lead to many athletes receiving their medals a day after competing.
At the last Winter Games organisers awarded medals at two plazas - one in Vancouver and one in Whistler.
Games organisers said yesterday the plans had not yet been finalised, but that everything would be done to avoid inconveniencing athletes.
“The plan to move athletes from the mountains to the medals area has not been formalised,” the organising committee’s Amedeo Ricottilli told reporters.
“But we will do our best for the athletes. The complete plan for the medals plaza is still under discussion.”
The medals plaza is to be located near the Fisht Olympic Stadium and medals will be awarded every night.
Meanwhile, Russia’s 2014 Olympics will be the biggest and the most expansionist Winter Games with 12 new sports, organisers said day.
Sports director Irina Gladkikh outlined the new sports, ranging from women’s ski jumping to a figure skating team championship at a media briefing.
Only two new sports were added to the last Winter Olympics programme in Vancouver 2010 which staged 86 events. Sochi will boast a total of 98 medal events in 15 sports - 69 in the mountains and 29 at the coastal cluster.
The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially the XXII Olympic Winter Games, or the 22nd Winter Olympics, will be celebrated from February 7 to 23 2014, in Sochi, Russia, with some events held in the resort town of Krasnaya Polyana. Ninety-eight events in fifteen winter sports will be held.
Both the Olympic and Paralympic Games are being organized by the Sochi Organizing Committee (SOC).
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