Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
Page 28
Page 29
Page 30
Page 31
Page 32
Page 33
Page 34
Page 35
Page 36
Page 37
Page 38
Page 39
Page 40
Page 41
Page 42
Page 43
Page 44
10FOCUS-MARCH2014havebeenbuiltbywealthyindividuals.Allareown-ersoflargecorporationsinRussiaandwereaskedbyVladimirPutintocontributetotheinfrastructurecostsofthegames.NormallytheIOCorNationalOlympiccommitteewouldcontrolthesevenuesforsecurityandinstallationofequipmentbutthisOlympicscontroldidnottakeplaceuntilafewdaysbeforetheGamesstarted.Thiscausedalitanyofdelaysfordeliveryofequipmentandinstallation.InSochihowevereachvenuehastheirownrulesforenteringthepremisesandforexitingthebuildingwithtoolsandequipment.ThiswasmadeveryapparentoneeveningwhenwenishedinstallingourequipmentattheLongTrackSkatingOval.Upontryingtoleavewithourexcesscableandtoolsweweretolditwasnotpossible.OursecurityofcerwaswhatyouwouldconsidertobeawesternpropagandastereotypeofaRussianguard.RealizingmostofourknowledgeofRussianwasasimplehelloprivitandthankyouspasibothesitu-ationlookedlikeitcouldbealongendingtoalongday.Eventuallythevenuemanagerwascalledandwewereinformedwehadnotlledouttheproperpaperworkforenteringthevenue.Sotomakealongdayshort90minutesafterllingoutthepaperworkdocumentingeveryscrewdriversolderingironandconnectorwewerenallyallowedtoleave.Truthfullytheguardwasdoinghisjobbutitwasaharbingerofwhatwastocomeoverthenextfewweeks.Whatthisenabledustodowastosavethetaxpayeraboatloadofmoney.ForexampleourCBCcrewoflessthan300hereinRussiaisameredropinthebucketcom-paredtoNBCandtheBBCwhohavemorethan2000peopleontheground.UsingallofthetechnicalandproductionresourcesinTorontoandMontrealeliminatedtheneedtosendallofthatpersonnel.Itissignicantlycuttingoperationalcosts.MuchofourequipmentwascontrolledinrealtimefromCanadaadistanceofover8000kms.MysixcolleaguesallbeingfromQuebecmadeforaninterestingcoupleofdaysearlyonasIhadtodustoffmyabilitytospeakFrenchrapidly.NextIhadthetaskoflearningRussianandFrenchatthesametimeThoserstfewdayswereprettytoughbutmygroupwasincrediblypatient.Ourearlydayswerespentorganizingliftingmovingequipmentandwiringvenueswithcable.Ourgroupwasagoodmixofpersonalities.Itwasarealtreattobeapartofsuchagroupofwilyoldveteranssotospeak.Everyonehadakeensenseofhumourandarapierlikewit.Itdidnttakelongtorealizehowcloseknitwewouldbecome.TheSochiGroupofSevenaswedubbedour-selvesbecamearaucousbunchbutextremelydedicatedtoallofourcrafts.Webecameafamilyveryquickly.ItwasanexcellentstarttomyownpersonalOlympicexpe-rience.ThisOlympicswasdifferentinsomanywaysfromothersIveexperienced.EachofthevenuesisownedandContinuedfrompage9ThescaleofthisOlympicprojectismassive.ItwasstartedoversevenyearsagowhenRussiawasawardedtheGames.TheseOlympicsareactuallyintwoareasaroundSochitheMountainClusterandtheCoastalCluster.ThetownofAdlerintheCoastalClusteriswherehockeygureskatingcurlinglongandshorttrackskatingtakesplace.ThealpineeventstakeplaceattheskiresortofRosaKhatourashort45minutesbytrainupthemountainsintheMountainCluster.Sowhatdoyougetforyour52bil-lionplusTheseGamescamewithadifferentcost.MuchofthetownofAdlerwasattenedtobuildtheseOlympicspartsoflargehillswereliterallymovedandthousandsofpeopledisplaced.FromacleanslatetheystartedtoIcebergSkatingPalacewheremostoftheskatingvenuestookplaceattheOlympics.ThescaleotheOlympicprojectismassivebutthatswhatyougetor52billion.MuchothetownoAdlerwasfattenedtobuildtheseOlympicsandthousandsweredisplaced.