POSTED: January 12th 2011
NewsUpdate
IOC claims right to delay Russian Grand Prix for sake of Sochi 2014
KEIR RADNEDGE in Lausanne / Sports Features Communications
LAUSANNE, Jan 12: The Formula One motor-racing grand prix set for Sochi in 2014 will be postponed for a year if the International Olympic Committee believes construction is threatened preparations for the Winter Games in the Black sea resort.
That clarification was issued here today by Gilbert Felli, the IOC’s Olympics executive director, in response to ongoing concerns about the scale of work essential to ensure Sochi is ready to host Russia’s first winter Games.
He said: “We are pleased that the contract for the Formula One Grand Prix has been signed because that means that high-level sport will continue in Sochi. However, we don’t that building work to put construction for the Games at risk.
"So, when we learned that the grand prix could be 2014 we made sure that the contract ensures that, if the IOC decides it is not feasible, we could postpone it to 2015. The decision will be to the IOC.”
Felli said the executive board of the IOC was satisfied with Sochi construction schedules thus far and with plans for the recruitment, accommodation and training of Games staff.
As far as bids for the 2018 winter Games were concerned, Felli acknowledged receipt earlier this week of the bid books from Annecy, Munich and PyeongCghang.
Asked about the change of leadership in Annecy, he said he did not believe the bid would stand or fall on that specific issue. He also said he had no further update regarding the Munich bid’s problems with certain landowners in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Clarification, as far as the IOC was concerned, could await this spring's forthcoming evaluation commission visit.
Keywords · Sochi · 2014 Winter Olympics · Russian Grand Prix
For more information contact:
Laura Walden ()
All original materials contained in this section are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Sports Features Communications, Inc the owner of that content. It is prohibited to alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content.
