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13 Jul, 2007 11:04

Snow forecast for Sochi Winter Olympics - "good"

The Head of Russia's Weather Service says the forecast for the Winter Olympics in 2014 will be good.

The snow depth in the Sochi mountains is on average six to seven metres, making them an ideal venue for winter sports.

Roman Vilfand said predicting the weather in the mountains is not easy and requires careful study. Special equipment will be installed to provide precise forecasts.

“Regular measurements show that from December to April the snow levels in the Sochi mountains are high enough for winter sports. From the weather data we have, we can say with a high degree of certainty that the depth of the snow blanket will be sufficient for winter sports,” observed Roman Vilfand.

And Svetlana Zhurova, an Olympic speed-skating champion, has her own forecast concerning Sochi’s preparations for the games.

“We have to know all the rules that we have to comply with, and all rights that we have, and I think it is very important to do everything in time. It is not easy, but we know that Russia can build these Olympic facilities fast, and the first thing to do is to build roads – it is what we need to start with. We can build sport facilities much faster than roads, they require more time, so that is one of the most important things that we have to think about now,” Svetlana Zhurova said.

The weather forecast is also important for the The International Paralympic Games which will be held just after the main games in Sochi at exactly the same venues.

The General Secretary of Paralympic Movement in Russia, Mikhail Terentyev, says the event will not be overshadowed.

“The paralympics will not get less attention because they are second. I have taken part in five paralympics and I have noticed that from an organizational point of view the fact that the paralympics are held after the Olympics is very beneficial. All difficulties especially transport ones are sorted out and everything goes smoothly,” Mikhail Terentyev explained.

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