NOVO-OGARYOVO, February 13. /TASS/. The Winter Olympic Games in the Black Sea resort of Sochi last year have given a boost to the development of mass sports in Russia, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

"One of the main legacies of the Olympic Games is that mass sports have started developing at a quicker pace than before the Olympics," the president said at a meeting with President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach.

Putin thanked Bach for support during preparations and at the Olympics, saying he had agreed with the IOC president to maintain regular contacts for the development of Olympic movement and sports as a whole.

Bach said the Sochi Olympics had created all conditions for Russia’s hosting other world championships and international competitions.