MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 2014 SPORTS Sochi Olympic scene: Busy workers and glitzy venues

SOCHI: If you are flying to Sochi for the Winter Games, book a window seat on the right side of the plane. That way you’ll get a bird’s-eye view of how Russia spent $51 billion on gleaming new sports arenas and a cobweb of highways for this southern city on the Black Sea. That’s the Russia that President Vladimir Putin wants you to see. Russia’s bid to host the 2014 Games, which was championed and overseen in the smallest detail by its powerful leader, is supposed to show Russia as a resurgent economy, capable of turning a semi-obscure seaside resort filled with cheesy bars into an international vacation mag- net. All Sochi needs now is some visitors. All the indoor venues for the Winter Games are tucked into a compact Olympic park next to the Black Sea. The outdoor venues in the moun- tains are about 45 minutes away on a brand new squeaky-clean train. Athletes, Olympic delega- tions, journalists and spectators on the day of the event all have free train tickets. Visitors to test events that Sochi hosted last year were pleasantly surprised by the army of young vol- unteers who spoke good English and were eager to help. Expect to see them inside the Olympic bubble as well as at Sochi’s upgraded airport ELISTA: A handout picture taken during the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic torch relay on January and train stations. 25, 2014 and released by the Sochi Organizing Committee, shows a these days all have stringent Kalmyk girl watching the torch relay. —AFP security checks and Sochi even more so since an Islamic insurgency is raging just a few hundred English, but two weeks before the games there The city is slowly recovering, but its residents still miles (kilometers) away. Railway stations are cir- were few signs that was working. The city face plenty of challenges. Yelena Yaroslavskaya, a cled by temporary fencing and all visitors reach offered language classes for taxi drivers, but young mother walking with her baby in a central venues through a security zone where they face none of the ones an AP reporter spoke to went park, said her apartment block has been hit by Torah Bright an airport-like body search and an examination to them or spoke any English. recurrent power shortages ever since prepara- of their bags. Trains are patrolled by policemen Beliye Nochi, a legendary Sochi restaurant tions for the games began. who walk down the aisles throughout the jour- best known for its khinkali, or Caucasian “We still get power shortages all the time,” Bright gets cross spot ney. The Olympic venues are all built - some dumplings, offers an English-language menu Yaroslavskaya said. “It’s particularly tough when have been operational for a year - but workers with pictures, but the restaurant’s staff members you have a kid and live on the 14th floor. We’re are still busy with finishing touches such as land- acknowledged they are not very fluent. Manager tired of the Olympics already.” for triple challenge scaping and road paving. Some of their recent Svetlana Dzhanayeva said she and several wait- Russian officials insist that electricity cuts work appears makeshift and hasty: palm trees in resses had attended English classes but lament- across Sochi are just part of maintenance work MELBOURNE: Torah Bright will realise sible for me on my snowboard and chal- the middle of a traffic roundabout were clearly ed that they were too brief. “What can a person as a new grid is being put into operation. Two her ambition of becoming the first snow- lenging myself like never before. Today I withering away with no grass around them, just learn in three days?” she said. power stations and dozens of sub-stations have boarder to compete in all three events at can say that I realised that goal.” fake pine needles. Vyacheslav Yakubovsky, a waiter at the near- been commissioned in the past year, but things a Winter Olympics next month after Bright, who comes from Cooma in the Despite the last-minute labors, Sochi organiz- by Grill & Coffee, said his burger shop was more are not getting easier for Sochi residents just yet. being awarded a spot in the snowboard foothills of Australia’s Snowy Mountains, ing committee head Dmitry Chernyshenko said popular with foreigners, attracting about 30 a Other residents were more optimistic, saying cross race, the Australian Olympic was already an X-Games star before win- Friday that all venues have been tested and are day. He went to employer-provided English the city’s massive infrastructure upgrade will be Committee said yesterday. The 27-year- ning gold in her second Olympics four ready to go, according to the R-Sport news classes and was confident of his language skills. the Winter Games’ best legacy. old Australian had already qualified to years ago. agency. Back in 2007, Sochi residents may have greet- “I feel better about it now,” said Irina defend the halfpipe title she won in She initially resisted the idea of com- Outside the Olympic bubble, many streets in ed the news of the upcoming Olympics with Kulyabina as she headed off to a management and compete in the peting in all three events when it was downtown Sochi are still pot-holed and muddy. jubilation. Years of enduring Russia’s biggest class. “The highways, the fly-overs, they are gor- slopestyle, a new event in Sochi where suggested by her coach and brother Ben, A central boardwalk that had almost perfect construction project, however, have made them geous. You just whizz by.” competitors perform tricks through a but embraced it at the start of last year paving in early December is all dug up - and it weary. The billions of Olympic-related rubles Kulyabina said she just had a “bout of enthu- course of jumps and rails. before embarking on an arduous qualifi- seems workers were removing paving stones to poured into Sochi meant huge construction siasm” about the games that will run from Feb. 7- Her place in the cross event, where cation schedule. “I could not have done put used slabs back in. trucks have rattled across its streets around the 23. “I bought the tickets yesterday. My daughter boarders go head-to-head in a race, was it without his vision that powered this Sochi officials have tried to teach locals some clock for years, caking mud all over the place. and I are going to see hockey!” she said. —AP dependent on other countries giving up journey,” Bright said of her brother. “It’s all quota places, though, and it was not just snowboarding, so I’ve been enjoying until the weekend that her spot in the very much. There has been a lot of travel 24-strong field was confirmed. and a lot of events. Humphries edges Meyers “I am thrilled and cannot wait to seize “But being on this journey has given my moments in Sochi,” Bright said in a me so much joy, that it’s made all the news release. “A year ago I started the hard work, long days and busy schedule for World Cup bobsled title journey where I dared myself to qualify enjoyable and worth it. And as they say, for three snowboard events in the nothing worthwhile is ever easy.” KONIGSSEE: ’s Kaillie Humphries edged Olympics. This is an Olympic journey Bright splits her year between Elana Meyers of the United States by the done my way. Australia, New Zealand and Park City, slimmest of margins yesterday for the overall “More than anything it’s about sharing Utah, where her sister Rowena competed women’s World Cup bobsled title, while the sport I love with the world. This has in alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Fabienne Meyer of Switzerland won the last race been a journey of exploring what is pos- Olympics. —Reuters of the season. Humphries finished with 1,629 points, one more than Meyers. If Humphries - the Olympic champion and now a two-time overall World Preview Cup winner - was 0.03 seconds slower Sunday, Meyers would have won the title. Meyer and Tanja Mayer had a two-run time of seek Test 1 minute, 44.01 seconds. Meyers and Aja Evans had a stellar second run to climb six spots and finish second, just ahead of Humphries and revival in Bangladesh Heather Moyse. “That was an unexpected finish to the sea- DHAKA: Sri Lanka will look to bounce the Test rankings at number 10, lower son,” Meyers said. “I knew it would take solid back after an embarrassing setback than unfancied Zimbabwe. drives throughout the entire season, and I defi- last week as Angelo Mathews’ tourists Ever since they gained Test status nitely couldn’t have done it without my team- begin a two-Test series against an in 2000, the Tigers have lost 67 of 81 mates, coaches and a great staff. All three pilots equally inconsistent Bangladesh from matches, winning just four-two each finished the season ranked in the top ten, and today. against Zimbabwe and a depleted that’s really incredible for Team USA.” The Islanders were left red-faced West Indies. Jazmine Fenlator and Lolo Jones of the U.S. when chased down 302 in Bangladesh endured an uninspir- were eighth, two spots ahead of teammates 57.3 overs on a fifth-day pitch to score ing 2013 in the longer format, the low Jamie Greubel and Lauryn Williams. Greubel fin- a series-levelling win in the final Test point being a crushing 335-run defeat ished third in the season standings. In the four- in Sharjah last Monday. by Zimbabwe in Harare. But they drew man race later yesterday, of the KOENIGSSEE: Canada’s overall world cup winner Kaillie Humphries (right) and Heather The drawn series, after securing a two home Tests against New Zealand US drove to his fourth win of the year. Moyse pose with the trophy after the two-woman Bobsled World Cup race. —AP nine- win in the previous Test in in October. The defending Olympic four-man champion Lyndon Rush of Canada drove to the bronze- The US led the overall standings for the sea- Dubai, meant Sri Lanka remained in All-rounder Shakib-Al Hasan, who and his team of Curt Tomasevicz, Steve Langton and Chris Fogt finished two runs in 1:38.54, edg- medal spot. son, winning 28 of the 72 World Cup medals the lower half of the Test rankings at leads Bangladesh’s spin attack, hopes Holcomb medaled five times in eight four- awarded on the bobsled tour, claiming 12 more number six, an indicator of poor sporting that favor both bats- ing the Swiss sled driven by by a mere 0.09 seconds. man races this season, finishing second to than any other nation. Holcomb drove to 10 results in recent years. Since the retire- men and bowlers will be prepared for “Two awesome pushes from my guys,” Germany’s Maximilian Arndt for the yearlong medals to lead the men’s pilots, while Meyers ment of world bowling record holder the series. Holcomb said. “This is Curt’s last (World Cup) points title. Holcomb was the two-man season topped all women with seven. —AP in July 2010, Sri “The contest is between two Asian race and we wanted to go out with a bang.” champion. Lanka have won just six and lost 12 of teams so a spin-friendly pitch may not their 32 Tests. help much,” Shakib said. “We now The veteran duo of Mahela have the experience to play good Jayawardene and against any team.” remain the batting pillars, while The hosts have recalled opening Takanashi suffers second defeat another seasoned campaigner-left- batsman Imrul Kayes for the first Test BERLIN: Japanese ski jump star Sara arm spinner Rangana Herath-spear- in Dhaka and included new batsman Takanashi suffered a second succes- heads the bowling. Shamsur Rahman, but the focus will sive World Cup defeat yesterday deliv- Sri Lanka will be relieved the be firmly on all-rounder Sohag Gazi. ering a worrying dent to her status as Bangladesh tour was given the go- The 22-year-old right-hander and Olympic Games gold medal favorite. ahead despite widespread political off-spinner created a stir during the The 17-year-old was beaten into violence in the run-up to the opposi- New Zealand series when he became second place by Austria’s Daniela tion-boycotted general elections on the first player to score a hundred and January 5. take a hat-trick in the same Test Iraschko-Stolz on the Planica hill in The tourists have defeated match. Sri Lanka will also play three Slovenia, just as she had been 24 Bangladesh in 13 of their 14 Tests, sev- one-day internationals and two hours earlier. en of them by an innings margin. On matches during the month- The back-to-back defeats came in their previous tour in 2008-09, Sri long tour. Bangladesh (from): the penultimate World Cup meet Lanka won the first Test by 107 runs Mushfiqur Rahim (capt), Tamim Iqbal, before the Sochi Olympics get under- and the second by 465 runs. Marshall Ayub, Shakib Al Hasan, Nasir way on February 7. But the Sri Lankan skipper refused Hossain, Mominul Haque, Shamsur Iraschko-Stolz, the 30-year-old to take victory for granted. “We may Rahman, Mohammad Mahmudullah, 2011 world champion, pulled off the have won in the past, but we still need Imrul Kayes, Abdur Razzak, Sohag longest jump of the competition of to go hard at them,” Mathews told Gazi, Robiul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Al- 102.5m to edge out Takanashi by reporters ahead of the first Test at the Amin Hossain. three points with Germany’s Carina Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Dhaka. Sri Lanka (from): Angelo Mathews Voigt claiming third, just as she had “Bangladesh will always be tough (capt), Dinesh Chandimal, Dimuth on Saturday. to beat at home. They have improved Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kumar Takanashi still leads the overall a lot in recent years. We need to play Sangakkara, , World Cup standings having now bro- good cricket to win. We are certainly Prasanna Jayawardene, Kithruwan ken through the 1000-point barrier. not going to take them lightly.” Vithanage, Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Next weekend, the World Cup circuit Bangladesh promise to provide Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Shaminda switches to Hinzenbach in Austria for tougher opposition this time even Eranga, Nuwan Pradeep, Vishwa the final two rounds before the though they languish at the bottom of Fernando, Ajantha Mendis. —AFP SLOVENIA: Japan’s Sara Takanashi competes in the women’s Ski Jumping World Cup event in Planica Olympics where women’s ski jumping yesterday. —AP is making its debut.—Reuters