Russia Vows Olympics in Sochi to Be Best in History

Jul 05, 05:38 AM

Current Headlines: Excerpt from report by Russian Channel One TV on 5 July

[Presenter] The games that we have deserved. Russia is celebrating a victory. The 2014 Winter Olympics will be held in Sochi. It was our city that the International Olympics Committee [IOC] recognized as being the best at the session in Guatemala. [Passage omitted]

[Correspondent] The fate of the Olympics is in the hands of a little girl, a Guatemalan gymnast (?Ana Sofia Gomez). [IOC President] Jacques Rogge takes the precious envelope bearing the [Olympic] rings and in a second opens it with a rustling sound.

[Rogge, speaking in English with Russian translation overlaid] The International Olympic Committee has the honour of announcing that the 22nd Olympic Winter Games in 2014 have been awarded to the city of Sochi.

[Correspondent] The last and most important word is almost inaudible in the hall. The Russian delegation jump up from their seats. [Passage omitted]

[Rogge, speaking in English at a news conference with Russian translation overlaid] We are very happy with our choice. We have had full support from the Russian government. The games will leave a good legacy to the city, the region and the country. We believe that we can rely on the traditional strength of Russian sport.

[Correspondent] A formality: [the signing of] a contract between Sochi and the IOC to hold the Winter Olympics. [Passage omitted]

The IOC commission was impressed by President Vladimir Putin's speech. The South Korean leader spoke in his own language, and much less than the professional Korean presenter. Putin, on the contrary, was Russia's main presenter. Later Rogge admitted that Putin's presence had given extra guarantees to Sochi's bid. The Russian president began his speech in English.

[Putin, speaking in English with Russian translation superimposed] Sochi is a unique place. On the sea shore we enjoy a fine spring day but up in the mountains it's winter. I went skiing there six or seven weeks ago and can say that real snow is guaranteed. Ancient Greeks lived on the outskirts of Sochi many centuries ago. I also saw the rock there to which, as a legend has it, Prometheus was chained. It was Prometheus who gave people fire, the fire which ultimately became the Olympic flames. We guarantee that the construction of the Olympic facilities in Sochi will be completed in time. We are allocating a large sum of 12bn dollars [to the facility's construction]. The Olympic compound will become a sports facility of regional, national and international importance. While building the facilities, we paid special attention to environmental, security, and infrastructure issues as well as the most modern means of communication.

[Correspondent] Putin surprised even the Russian delegation when he switched from English to French.

[Putin speaking in French with Russian translation overlaid] Mr President, members of the IOC, ladies and gentlemen. Please support the dream of millions of Russians who are waiting with hope for your decision. Thank you.

[Correspondent] Putin did not learn the news about Sochi winning the bid in Guatemala, as he had left it before the voting according to IOC requirements, but on board his presidential airliner on the way to Moscow. [Passage omitted]

[Presenter] While flying to Moscow, Putin phoned Rogge and thanked the IOC for the impartial voting in favour of Sochi. Putin assured Rogge that all projects to develop Sochi would be implemented in time while meeting the highest standards. [Passage omitted]

[Yevgeniy Plyushchenko, Olympic champion in figure skating, member of Russian Olympic Bid Committee] [We thank] all the people from across the country. Russia is our future, it is the future for our children and parents.

[Correspondent] Only Shamil Tarpishchev, always phlegmatic, remembered the South Koreans who had lost the Olympic bid the second time running. [Talking to Tarpishchev, president of the Russian Tennis Federation and member of the IOC] Did you have time to talk to the Koreans, our former rivals?

[Tarpishchev] Well, to IOC members only. It's mere ethics. They came up to us to congratulate us. It was very nice.

[Correspondent] Meanwhile, [Deputy Prime Minister] Aleksandr Zhukov stepped aside. It emerged that Putin had phoned him. It was 0330 [2330 gmt 4 June] in Moscow at that time.

[Zhukov] The president asked - [changes tack] - First of all, he is also very happy. Secondly, he asked that words of gratitude be conveyed to everybody who rendered their support. I think to all journalists too because I saw how much you supported us.

[Correspondent] First, [Economic Development and Trade Minister] German Gref was answering positively to serious issues about the start of the Olympic facilities' construction when talking to journalists who were surrounding him. Then, he said that his mobile phone battery was almost flat due to phone calls.

[Gref] I think I must have received hundreds of SMS messages.

[Unidentified journalist] Let us read them.

[Correspondent] Before the voting or afterwards?

[Gref, laughing] Hooray, mainly. By the way, they [the SMS messages] started coming before the voting. [Russian conductor currently leading the London Symphony Orchestra Valeriy] Gergiyev was the first. We promised that it would be the best Olympics in the history of the Olympic Games.

[Correspondent] Sochi's mayor is also confident that it will be the best Olympics in the world. [Passage omitted]

[Viktor Kolodyazhnyy, mayor of Sochi] I want to express my gratitude on behalf of all of Sochi's residents and on my own behalf. We know how to build. In fact, I am a builder myself. I think we will try not to let anyone down.

[Gref] Everybody without exception was working as a single team. It is just a new characteristic of our people, including officials of all levels, sportsmen, journalists, actors. No-one could have done this on their own. [Passage omitted: correspondent's comments]

[Krasnodar Territory governor Aleksandr Tkachev] Russians will use this, holidaymakers who arrive in our city, tourists and locals. This is great.

[Correspondent] Are you inviting everybody?

[Tkachev, in English] Welcome to Sochi. [Passage omitted to end: correspondent's comments]

(c) 2007 BBC Monitoring Former Soviet Union. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.