15facts about the 2014winter olympics in sochi
15 Facts About the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi
With the 2014 Winter Olympics underway, there are a ton of facts that are popping up about these games. In this Buzzle article, we bring you 15 facts about the 22nd Winter Olympics that you might not know.
Sochi, Russia, the venue for the XXII Winter Olympic Games
15 Facts About the Sochi Olympics that You Might Not Know
While some of you might know all of this, chances are high that a few of these facts will come as a surprise. To be honest, a few even shocked me, and that's something, as getting a reaction from yours truly is nigh on impossible. Well, here's a look at what USD 50 billion can do.
1
Vanessa-Mae, the popular violinist will be taking part in these Olympics, not as a violinist, of course, but as part of the skiing team for Thailand.2
The gold medal at Sochi actually contains only 6 grams of gold, and 525 grams of silver, and takes about 18 hours to make.3
Although the opening ceremony was scheduled for 7th February, events at the Sochi Olympics actually commenced on 6th February, 2014. 4
All the 230 athletes competing for USA will be wearing outfits designed by noted designer, Ralph Lauren.5
The city of Sochi was a favorite haunt of none other than Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union (1922-1952), who had a vacation home in the city.6
While the Olympic Village in Sochi can host 6,000 athletes, it can host even more members of the press. Organizers have issued almost 13,000 press credentials, or more than 2 press representatives per athlete. Talk about being well covered.7
Russia had originally estimated the games to cost close to USD 12 billion. By the time the opening ceremony was aired, costs had ballooned to more than USD 51 billion, making Sochi the most expensive Olympics ever. 8
The average temperature in February for Sochi is 8.3 degrees Celsius (47 °F), making this the warmest ever Winter Olympics. In fact, organizers have even kept snow and ice making machines in reserve, in case warm weather disrupts any of the events.9
Besides hiring big names for apparel, USA has also roped in leading car manufacturer, BMW, who have designed an advanced bobsled for the team, complete with carbon fiber and advanced aerodynamic engineering.10
The official logo of the 22nd Winter Olympics, Sochi.ru, is the first logo to feature a website address. The URL redirects to the homepage of the games. 11
In addition to hosting the Winter Olympics, Sochi will once again be in the limelight after 4 years, being a host city of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. 12
Leading cell phone manufacturer, Samsung, has said that it will be giving their latest flagship model, the Galaxy Note 3, to every participant at the Sochi games.13
The XXII Winter Olympics will be the first Olympic Games to feature surveillance drones. 14
Once the Olympics at Sochi conclude, the infrastructure will not remain unused, but will make way for a Formula One street circuit, which will be host to the Russian Grand Prix from 2014 to 2020. 15
And last, but not the least, the popular fast food chain, McDonald's, will be the official restaurant of the Olympic Games. For the Olympics, McDonald's have promised to serve healthy food, though it also said that 'Big Macs' will continue to be available.