Russian leaders to miss Closing Ceremony

The Sochi 2014 Winter Games chief confirmed Saturday neither the Russian president nor the prime minister would be at the Closing Ceremony amid discontent over the nation's performances in Vancouver.

When asked whether he was disappointed at the absence of Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin, Sochi organizing committee chief executive Dmitry Chernyshenko insisted both had been closely involved with the bid.

"Since the very beginning of our bid we've enjoyed full governmental support and President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin are personally and deeply involved in the preparation for the Games."

Chernyshenko said he could not comment on the travel schedule of state leaders but added that a number of high-level officials would be present at the closing ceremony, including the mayor of Sochi.

Putin on Friday expressed disappointment at his country's mediocre performance in Canada, vowing personnel changes to get better results in 2014.

Russian officials and media outlets have reacted bitterly to the country's haul of only three gold medals in Vancouver, especially after the painful defeat of Russia's vaunted ice hockey team by Canada on Wednesday.

"This is beneath any criticism," Medvedev's top foreign policy aide Sergei Prikhodko told reporters on Friday, referring to Russia's Olympic performance.

Prikhodko declined to confirm Russian media reports that Medvedev had cancelled plans to go to Vancouver for the Olympics closing ceremony because of the country's poor performance.

The Kremlin never officially announced Medvedev's plans to go to Canada, Prikhodko said. "Maybe there were plans, we have tons of plans," he said.
"We are not going to Vancouver."

A source familiar with the planning, however, told AFP that Medvedev, who is going to France on Monday for a three-day visit, was initially supposed "to fly directly from Vancouver to France on Monday, March 1."

Chernyshenko told reporters in Vancouver that the Sochi project "remains firmly on track" and a series of test events would be held in the run-up to the Games.

"The Games will bring a sporting, social, economic and environmental legacy that will last for generations," he pledged.

Chernyshenko said a team of about 150 people had visited Vancouver to learn lessons for Sochi.

"We've learned that advanced planning is a crucial part of the success, especially the contingency plan for the weather or for the transportation," he said, also highlighting the "great atmosphere" at the Games.

Source:ctvolympics.ca/