Sochi, Russia, October 26th, 2006 – Sochi 2014, Russia’s Bid for the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, is conducting an ongoing program under the guidance of Olympic Champion Svetlana Zhurova, sounding former and current Olympians and Paralympians in order to develop a “dream” Olympic Village that place the athletes at the heart of Sochi’s Bid and surpasses expectations.

In hopes of creating the “best Olympic Village ever”, Sochi 2014 has already been in contact with 18 Olympic and Paralympic athletes over the last several months to get first-hand their input on what makes a good Olympic Village. Targeting aspects of convenience, accessibility, and comfort, the program delves deep into what matters most for athletes, focusing on the small details such as room temperature for example, that often get overlooked in Games planning.

Opinions and views of Paralympic athletes on questions ranging from transportation and accommodation to bed linens and entertainment are being equally considered by Sochi 2014 as a key priority. A successful Bid for Sochi could represent a huge opportunity for Russia to advance in terms of awareness and integration of people with disabilities. In this light, the Bid has taken the time to ask them how best to make the Paralympic Games in Sochi meet their highest standards.

Some of the most interesting findings of the program have been related to the prevalent view among athletes that not enough adapted services and entertainment are available to them during the Games. Most athletes do not compete over the whole Games and all would like to see greater and easily accessible offerings to make their time more enjoyable, such as dedicated spaces to meet with friends, internet points and WiFi hot spots around the Village, and more gift and flower shops.

As an Olympic and World champion, Svetlana Zhurova is well placed to contribute to the program from her own Olympic experiences, spanning from Lillehammer in 1994 to Torino in 2006. Zhurova had this to comment: “Athlete participation is crucial to Sochi’s Bid and this is a project that I really take to heart. In planning the Olympic Village, small nuances are often neglected and we are making a concerted effort to change this and improve the athletes overall experience for an unforgettable Games in Sochi.”

Sochi’s Olympic Village will be located in the Imeretinskaya Valley, along the Black Sea coast, in close proximity to Sochi airport and the mountain venues in Krasnaya Polyana. Following the Games, the Village will be converted into a seaside resort.