POSTED: March 27th 2010
NewsUpdate
Sochi turns out in force to welcome the Olympic and Paralympic flags
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT / Sports Features Communications
SOCHI, Mar 27: The Olympic and Paralympic flags have arrived in Sochi ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Their arrival coincided with the Session of Presidential Council for Physical Culture, Sports and Preparation for the Games and for the World Summer Universiade 2013 in Kazan.
The journey began with charter flight from Vancouver and continued by rail and motorcade to their destination in the Sochi City Administration Square. Accompanying them was a delegation which included Sochi president and ceo Dmitry Chernyshenko, Mayor Anatoly Pakhomov, 2010 Olympic cross-country skiing champion Nikita Kriukov and biathlon champion Anna Bogaliy-Titovets as well as Paralympic champions Irek Zaripov, Kirill Mikhaylov and Anna Burmistrova, Nikolay Polukhin and Sergey Shilov.
The flags were handed to marines and coast guards on the Sochi City Administration Square and then raised by 2010 Vancouver Games champions and Sochi 2014 Ambassadors Kriukov and Zaripov.
Chernyshenko said: “This is a historic day for Sochi as my native city has become the official keeper of the main symbols of the Olympic and Paralympic Movements. We are next! Now, the most crucial and difficult stage of preparation stands before us.
“Our presentations during the flag handover ceremonies were bright and memorable events. The entire world now is expecting us to stage an outstanding Games in 2014. We are moving towards this goal with confidence.”
The flags will be kept in the foyer of the Sochi Administration building to be raised on special occasions, including International Olympic Day and the anniversary of Sochi’s victory in Guatemala.
Keywords · Sochi · 2014 Winter Olympics · President Medvedev · Chernyshenko
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