Putin to Olympic officials: We’re all set for Sochi 2014
Race technicians ski down a hill at the Rosa Khutor Mountain Resort in Krasnaya Polyana near Sochi on Feb. 18, 2012. The Games to be held there in 2014 will be the biggest international event hosted by Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday led International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials around the Black Sea resort city of Sochi to show them preparations for the 2014 Winter Games, according to Reuters.
The games a set to launch exactly one year from Thursday, said the Associated Press, noting that budget costs are expected to hit $51 billion, which would make the Sochi event the most expensive in Olympic history.
While there, Putin came down on government officials for costly delays — one ski jump budgeted for $40 million ended up costing $265 million, said AP.
He betrayed no such frustration in comments to IOC officials, however.
"I have no doubt that all the sites will be ready on time and with the appropriate quality," Reuters cited the Russian leader as saying while "sporting sunglasses and a fur-collared black jacket."
Some have questioned Russia's readiness to host the games, given human rights abuses and the government's reputation for corruption.
Putin spoke to corruption concerns himself today, telling workers that the "most important thing is that nothing gets stolen" and urged them to keep spending in line, said AP.
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