Tour of Olympic village; one week out from the opening of the Winter Games

Описание: (28 Jan 2014) Organisers and volunteers in Sochi were on Tuesday gearing up to greet some 3,000 athletes from more than 80 countries as the 2014 Winter Olympics nears, with just over a week to go.
With athletes, coaches, and administrative officials expected in a couple of days, organisers are working to get everything ready for their arrival.
Hoping to show off a resurgent Russia that emerged from the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, organisers have built virtually all Olympic facilities from scratch to turn a decaying, Stalinist-era resort into what they hope will be a year-round tourist destination and winter sports mecca for the region.
They admit, however, that access to the village is a challenge.
"Its location rather isolates it from general infrastructure and services down below. And that has created huge challenges in terms of transport and access to the village," said the Director of Olympic villages, Daniel Merkley.
Sochi features one of the most compact layouts in Olympic history, with all indoor arenas located close to each other in an Olympic Park along the coast.
The cluster of snow venues are about 45 minutes away in the Krasnaya Polyana mountains.
The project has come at a monumental cost: the 51 (b) billion US dollar price tag, which includes construction of new roads, tunnels, rail lines and other long-term infrastructure investments, is a record for any Winter or Summer Games.
It has also been overshadowed by a barrage of concerns over security threats, gay rights, human rights, corruption, waste and overspending.
Russian security officials have been hunting for three potential female suicide bombers, one of whom is believed to be in Sochi itself.
The suspects are known as "black widows," women seeking to avenge husbands or male relatives killed in Russia's fight against insurgents in the region.
Russia is mounting what is believed to be the biggest security operation ever for an Olympics, deploying more than 50,000 police and soldiers to protect the games.
The cordon includes naval warships, anti-aircraft batteries and drone aircraft.
Two US warships will be in the Black Sea to help if needed.
"The villages to me feel like the safest place in Russia right now," Merkley said.
"I feel very confident about my safety in the village and very confident for the athletes as well."


Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...