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Putin visits several Sochi Olympic sites

Putin urged to give a response to the question why the value of the project became higher

SOCHI, February 6 (Itar-Tass) – Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Wednesday the Olympic sites of the mountain cluster that will be used during the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014.

At first Putin visited the ski jumping centre RusSki Gorki among other Olympic sites. The athletes have already tested two ski-jump ramps K-95 and K-125 at several competitions, president of the Organizing Committee Sochi-2014 Dmitry Chernyshenko told Putin. The construction of the infrastructure of the ski jumping centre is in progress.

At the request of the Russian president Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak noted that the whole ski jumping centre with the infrastructure is to be commissioned in July 2013.

Putin asked to note what a lag is behind the deadlines of construction. Kozak acknowledged that a lag behind the initial schedule makes over two years, and the ski jumping centre was initially planned to commission in June 2011. In his words, this delay is caused by the fact the previous main stockholder of the open joint stock company Krasnaya Polyana, which is in charge of the ski jumping centre, did not do all the necessary work timely. The Russian savings bank Sberbank has purchased the controlling stake of Krasnaya Polyana last May.

Putin urged to give a response to the question why the value of the project became higher. Kozak noted that initially the ski jumping centre was to cost one billion and 200 million roubles, but now its final cost is estimated at eight billion roubles.

The ski-jump ramps are located between two ridges that makes it possible to protect the ski jumpers from the side winds thanks this terrain. This factor was a serious problem during the competitions. Meanwhile, special technologies were applied in the construction of the ski-jump ramps thanks to which their pylons simultaneously reinforced the ground on the mountain slope.

The biathlon route is right next to the ski jumping centre with the capacity of 9,600 seats. The biathlon route is 2,500 metres long.

Then the Russian president visited the mountain ski sport and tourist centre Gornaya Karusel (mountain carousel). This centre is one of key sites of the mountain ski infrastructure of the Winter Olympics that brings together the ski jumping centre RusSki Gorki and the Media Village. Gornaya Karusel will be built at two levels of 540 and 960 metres. Hotels for more than 2,000 rooms and the facilities of the catering infrastructure will be built at this mountain ski sport and tourist centre.

The development project also envisages the construction of 36 mountain ski routes at a total length of over 70 kilometres, 28 lines of gondola, cruiser and t-bar lifts. Three sections of the gondola lifts are running to bring the skiers at an altitude of 2,300 metres, as well as three four-chair lifts. Putin raised again the question of the cost and the deadlines for the commissioning of these Olympic sites. Chernyshenko noted that very brief deadlines are the main difficulty, as well as the fact that this is one of the most intensively used Olympic sites in Sochi. Kozak assured Putin that this Olympic site is to be commissioned despite this fact in September 2013.

Putin also noted to specify the cost of the project, its higher cost and the companies, which are in charge of the construction works. In his questions Putin demanded clear-cut and unequivocal responses and addressed to the top officials of the agencies and companies concerned immediately.

Vladimir Putin also visited the railway station Krasnaya Polyana, which will be the destination point for the participants and guests at the Olympic mountain ski competitions in 2014. The construction of the railway station will be finalized in April 2013. The railway station will be open for the passengers from October 2013.

The throughput capacity of the railway station at the time of the peak load will reach 8,500 passengers per hour, and together with the passengers, who will arrive at the railway station by bus, the mountain transportation hub will be able to serve over 12,000 passengers per hour, the head of the organizing committee Sochi-2014 told the Russian president.