The 2010 Olympics may still be more than three years away but
already future prospective Olympic hosts are visiting Vancouver and Whistler to
learn about bidding for the Games.
The chairwoman of the Sochi 2014 Bid group was in Vancouver May
30-June 1 to visit the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Winter
Olympics.
Elena Anikina’s trip to Vancouver included a tour of sports
venues and inspection of some permanent Games facilities, as well as informal
meetings with senior VANOC members.
According to a press release, the goal of Anikina’s trip was to
experience first-hand how to balance the need for sustainable development with
long-term legacies and how best to implement the Games’ organizational
strategy.
“My time in Vancouver was a most enriching experience. I have
come away with a better understanding of the sporting aspects, the structure
and challenges faced by the OCOG,” Anikina said in the release.
The IOC will shortlist candidate cities for the 2014 Olympic
and Paralympic Winter Games in the next few weeks.
Sochi is a year-round resort located on the Black Sea in
southern Russia.
Other candidates for the 2014 Games include Salzburg, Austria;
Pyeongchang, South Korea; Jaca, Spain; Sofia, Bulgaria; Borjomi, Georgia; and
Almaty, Kazakhstan.