The head of the Sochi Olympics is expecting the games to be an operational success despite the talk of terror threats, corruption, overspending and anti-gay legislation that has already plagued the event.
Organising committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko said on Wednesday that Sochi is “fully ready” and will deliver safe, friendly and well-run games that defy the grim reports that have overshadowed preparations.
“History will be made,” he said of Russia’s first Winter Games.
With Sochi facing threats of terrorist attacks from insurgents from the North Caucasus, Chernyshenko said the city is the “most secure venue at the moment on the planet” and promised that tight security measures will not detract from the atmosphere of the games.
“I can assure you that Sochi will be among the most security-friendly games and all the procedures will be very gentle and smooth,” he said.
Russia is deploying more than 50,000 police and soldiers to guard the Olympics. A Muslim militant group claimed responsibility for back-to-back suicide bombings that killed 34 people in Volgograd in late December and threatened attacks on the games.
“You will see thousands of (security) people around but it’s important to understand that the Olympics is a global event and the security is also a global multi-national event and state authorities are doing (their) utmost to deliver Sochi as safest for everyone,” Chernyshenko said.
Referring to the Russian law banning gay “propaganda” among minors, he repeated assurances that Russia will not discriminate against anyone at the Olympics on the basis of sexual orientation.
However, Chernyshenko appeared to contradict IOC President Thomas Bach, who said Monday that athletes – prohibited by the Olympic Charter from political demonstrations or gestures on the medal stand and other venues – would be free to express their personal political views at news conferences.
“I don’t think they are allowed by charter to express those views that (are) not related to the sport at the press conference room,” Chernyshenko said, adding that organisers had set up a protest zone – or “Speaker’s Corner” – in the city.
The uproar over the gay law, as well as criticism of Russia’s human rights record and Vladimir Putin’s policies, has led a number of Western political leaders to shun the February 7 opening ceremony and the games.
However, Chernyshenko said the number of world leaders attending the ceremony would be “the highest in the history of the Winter Games,” but declined to give the number.
