KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

         Viletta springs surprise in super combined to complete golden hour for Swiss in Sochi

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14/02/2014

Switzerland's Sandro Viletta won the men's Olympic super-combined title to top a podium that included neither of the pre-race favourites, in a result that underlined just how competitive the Alpine men’s skiing scene is at present.

The 28-year-old, who had previously managed just one win on the World Cup circuit, to go with a win and podium so far, won with a combined time of 2 minutes 45.20 seconds, after one downhill and one slalom run.

Croatia’s Ivica Kostelic was second at 0.34 seconds, bagging his fourth Olympic silver – three of which have come in the combined.
Taking third place and the bronze was Christof Innerhofer at 0.47 seconds, as the Italian continued what has been a successful Sochi 2014, following his silver in the downhill.
“This is amazing, it's perfect, it's more than a dream come true,” Viletta said. "It's also a big shock. I didn't think I would come first. I'm so happy.”
The Swiss was just 14th after the downhill and nowhere near the top favourites to win, but a second-fastest run in the slalom secured him gold.

Meanwhile, silver medallist Kostelic admitted to slight disappointment at missing out on top spot on the podium.
“I was hoping for the gold this time,” said the Croatian, but he added that capping an indifferent season with an Olympic medal was still a wonderful achievement.
“A big rock has fallen from my heart now... I had a pretty bad season. I never skied the podium in the World Cup so I am thankful for the medal.”
Ted Ligety of the US and Frenchman Alexis Pinturault had both been  hotly tipped for glory ahead of the event, following impressive victories in the super combined during the World Cup season. However, neither managed to finish within the top 10.
Ligety, who needed a clean slalom after finishing 18th in the morning's downhill, made a costly mistake and ended up 12th, while the 22-year-old Frenchman failed to complete.
The American refused to accept that difficult conditions were to blame for his showing. “We all have to ski and deal with it,” he said. “There are no excuses.”
Ligety's compatriot and defending Olympic champion Bode Miller, who was seeking to make up for a disappointing eighth place in the downhill, fought hard to come back from a 12th place after the downhill run but had to make do with sixth overall.

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

         Chernyshenko hails “truly great Games" as Sochi 2014 reaches halfway point

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14/02/2014

As the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games reach the halfway stage, Organising Committee President Dmitry Chernyshenko has hailed the “truly great Games” that are taking place in the Russian resort.

"As we always believed likely during our preparations, these are proving to be truly great Games,” he says. “The atmosphere at the Games is very friendly, sport fans welcome each other in all sorts of languages and 550,000 people have already visited the Olympic Park to join the festival of sport.
“I’m delighted that the athletes have spoken so highly of the organisation of the Games and thank the fans for their incredible support.”
Athletes praising the Games have included Dutch speed skater Bob de Jong, who said: “The atmosphere is great. The village, the rooms, everything is perfect. And it is all very Russian. I like that.”
IOC Executive Director Gilbert Felli has also revealed his pleasure with the Games so far, declaring that feedback from partners, International Federations, National Olympic Committees and athletes had been extremely positive.
“From day one, we have been only happy with what has happened with the organisation and the fluidity of the operations,” he says. “We can only comment on the excellent work done by Dmitry and his team. Really, the feedback we got from many people is excellent.”
 
So far, more than one million tickets have been sold for the Games, with fans from 124 countries gathering in Sochi to support the athletes and create what Chernyshenko called an “electric” atmosphere. Record television viewing figures have also been witnessed in many markets around the world, while more than five million people have visited the Sochi 2014 website.
Sporting highlights from the first week have included France’s Martin Fourcade winning two biathlon gold medals, Germany sweeping the luge events and Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu breaking the world record score for a figure skating short programme.
With around 60 medal events still to be contested, Chernyshenko is looking forward to further highlights during the second week of the Games.
“As of now, 38 medal sets have been already awarded, but there is surely more incredible sport yet to come,” he says. 
“The most exiting part, I think, is ahead and we, as Russians, are all dreaming about the finals, especially in the ice hockey, which could be the most dramatic moment of the Games.”

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

         Super Tsuper ends 16-year medal wait to win aerials gold at Rosa Khutor

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14/02/2014

34-year old Belarusian freestyler Alla Tsuper, who was competing in her fifth Olympic Winter Games, shocked a top draw field to win the women's aerials title.

The Belarussian had never before won a medal in four previous attempts and arrived at Sochi 2014 ranked only 13th in the World Cup standings.
Yet the veteran was the only athlete to land perfectly in the final four shoot out and she edged out world champion Xu Mengtao of China into silver, with Australia's reigning Olympic champion Lydia Lassila taking bronze.
Harder and harder
“At my first Games [Nagano 1998], I wasn’t nervous at all, But it got harder and harder every four years,” admitted the jubilant Belarusian.
“This year, I decided to treat Sochi as if it was my debut appearance at the Games. And it worked: I wasn’t nervous at all!”
Tsuper had only sneaked into the final by the skin of her teeth as the 12th, and last, qualifier by the most remarkably small margin of just 0.03 of a point over world number two Zhang Xin of China.

She had actually stopped competing for a couple of years following Vancouver 2010, where she finished fifth, and she admitted she started to believe she would never win an Olympic medal.
“I did feel like that for a moment in Vancouver, after I made it to the final and didn't get a medal.
“I thought that was it but then I had a break for two years, I had my daughter and then I was offered the chance to have another go. I started training and I did very well."
Mum’s the word
Her victory, allied with Lassila’s bronze meant that there were two mothers on the podium, since athletes have had children since the last Olympics.
And Tsuper, believes that being older is an advantage, helping the two of them focus on their discipline.
"We know what we want and we just go for it," she said of herself and 32-year old Lassila
Despite losing her Olympic crown, Lassila did make history as she became the first female freestyler to successfully complete a full-double-full-full.
And the Australian was gracious in defeat, praising her successor as Olympic champion.
“I'm so happy for Alla, I really love this girl. She's a great competitor, she's been around for a long time,” said the Australian.
“We've pretty much come up together because we're pretty much the same age.
“She's continued to push herself, she's been through some rough patches, she's had a lot to go through as well.
“We're both mums, I know what she's going through and she knows what I've gone through to be here and to be the best we can be.
“She jumped her heart out all this week, and tonight, and is so deserving of this medal.”
Tsuper's triumph ensured that by the end of Day 6, Belarusian athletes had already claimed three gold medals making it the most successful Winter Games in their country’s history.

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Six quick questions to… the youngest athlete in Sochi

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14/02/2014

Gianina Ernst from Germany has made history twice in Sochi by becoming the youngest athlete to compete in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games whilst participating in the Olympic debut of women’s ski jumping. She met the minimum age requirement for the Olympic Winter Games by a matter of hours by being born on 31 December 1998. Olympic.org caught up with the 15-year-old ski jumper at the Olympic Medals Plaza after she watched the top-ranking competitors collect their medals.

Are you enjoying the Games?Yes, very much. It is absolutely fantastic here.

What has been your highlight outside the competition venue so far?It has been great to come down from the mountains tonight and experience the atmosphere in the coastal cluster, which is very cool. It is fun to pass by the big stadia, enjoy the Olympic Park and the great atmosphere.

What does it mean to you to have been competing here in Sochi?Just by participating here I have already accomplished a big objective. A dream came true.

We have checked the statistics and you are the youngest participant competing here in Sochi. Is this a funny feeling?Honestly speaking, I do not really feel that I am the youngest as everybody is treating me the same as the other athletes, which is good.

How is it to be part of the Olympic “first” of women’s ski jumping?It is very special. It is just cool that I’ve been qualified. I am really enjoying it.

How did you get into ski jumping?My father was a ski jumper and motivated me to take up the sport.

What are your plans for PyeongChang 2018?For now, I am just concentrating on the coming years.  Then we will see.

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Olympic fans flock to Sochi cultural performances

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12/02/2014

Fans in Sochi for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games have also been enjoying an array of artistic performances and events as part of the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad.

Over the last four years, approximately three million people have attended the more than 5,000 events – including concerts, theatre performances, exhibitions and festivals – that have been held throughout all 84 regions of Russia as part of the Cultural Olympiad, which has taken on a different theme for each year. It began in 2010 with the year of cinema, while 2011 was theatre, 2012 music and 2013 museums.
The finale of the Cultural Olympiad is being held in Sochi during the Winter Games, bringing together highlights of the previous four years at venues throughout the host city.
“We collected the most beautiful, the most outstanding events; numerous performance groups which represent popular songs, dances, the best theatre performances and art exhibitions,” explains Anna Pisarskaya, Sochi 2014’s head of culture.
With 144 events already taking place across the city during the Games, the programme has attracted thousands of Olympic fans.
“As of today, the number of spectators at these cultural events was 410,000 people,” says Pisarskaya. “So 410,000 spectators have attended the 27 various venues where these concerts, theatre performances and other performances take place. The repertoire is very diverse; it ranges from rock concerts that are taking place at the medals plaza to various folklore concerts that take place at various live sites.”

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By the time the Olympic flame is extinguished in Sochi, approximately 5,000 performers will have participated in the Games-time cultural programme, including artists from 75 regions of Russia.
Among the highlights is the Winter International Arts Festival, directed by celebrated violinist and conductor Yuri Bashmet.
“Yuri drew up a very interesting programme, in my view,” says Pisarskaya. “You can see classical performances, you can hear and listen to classical music. Also, on top of that, very unusually for Yuri Bashmet, who is a representative of a classical music, there are events such as jazz bands and the Red Rock [popular music] concerts. So it is better to see than to hear it from me.”
With 410,000 people already flocking to these events, it’s clear that fans in Sochi are taking Pisarskaya’s advice and experiencing the Cultural Olympiad for themselves.

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KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

The entourage as a vital support system to athletes

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12/02/2014

From family and friends to agents, medical personnel and coaches, the people that make up an athlete’s entourage play a fundamental role in an athlete’s career. Last night, Olympic champions, coaches, athletes and members of the IOC’s Entourage and Athletes’ Commissions gathered in Sochi’s Coastal Olympic Village to meet and discuss the complexities and challenges faced by those who act as a support system to the athletes.

Following the success of the “Coaches and Entourage Night” held during the London 2012 Olympic Games, this event was held for the first time during the Olympic Winter Games. It aims to act as a platform to address current issues that have an influence on an athlete’s career, such as education and media exposure. It also provides a speaking opportunity to those behind the scenes who are crucial to an athlete’s evolution and long-term success.

Athletes and coaches on stage at Sochi event

In a relatively informal setting, speakers included Claudia Bokel, Olympic medallist in fencing and IOC Athletes’ Commission Chair; pole vault legend and IOC Entourage Commission Chair Sergey Bubka; Olympic medallists Stéphane Lambiel (figure skating) and  Edgar Grospiron (freestyle skiing/moguls); Swiss ice hockey goalie Florence Schelling, who is participating in the Sochi Olympic Games, and her coach Colin Mueller.

Balancing sport and education

For 25 year-old Florence Schelling, it was always important not to neglect education during her sporting career: “School was always a priority because I knew I could not make my living by playing ice hockey.” Florence got the opportunity to combine her ice hockey career with university studies in the USA. She now works on a full-time work contract and trains in the evenings. Family and friends are very supportive and understand that Florence does not have a lot of free time to spend with them.

The ice hockey coach for the Swiss team, Colin Mueller, spoke about the many responsibilities of a coach and the importance of having a multi-disciplinary entourage team, including experts in certain fields like psychology. Olympic champion Edgar Grospiron confirmed that his coach was much more for him than just a technical expert, and that he taught him important life skills. He said: “My coach was not only a sports coach, but a life coach. This was his mission, though he was not paid for this.” And Stéphane Lambiel, 2006 Olympic silver medallist in figure skating, appreciated that his coach “could really adapt to every situation” and felt when his athlete needed support in certain conditions or when he wanted instead to be left alone.

New educational platform for athletes

The “Coaches and Entourage Night” was also an opportunity to highlight the recent work done by the IOC Athletes’ and Entourage Commissions, including online education initiatives for athletes. Recognising that many athletes put their education on hold as they focus on their sporting career, the IOC, in collaboration with a number of its commissions, has developed an online platform delivering free, engaging, educational content to a worldwide athlete audience known as the IOC Athlete MOOC (Massive Open Online Course). This education platform will go live with its first three courses in March 2014.

Bringing together Olympic champions, world-renowned coaches, leading academics and inspiration leaders, the IOC Athlete MOOC features academic lectures delivered by prominent institutions from around the world, video insights, online live events, discussion forums and various learning resources.

IOC tools to help with career transition

IOC Athletes’ Commission Chair Claudia Bokel said: “If we have the athletes here on the sporting stage at the Olympic Games, we should also support them in their career transition. This is why we developed several tools to help them out, such as the Athlete Career Programme (ACP) and the MOOC.” Sergey Bubka, Chair of the IOC Entourage Commission said: “Sporting careers are quite short, and this is exactly why it is so important to combine sport with education. We need to pass on this message, especially to young athletes.”

Find more information and to sign up for the IOC Athlete MOOC, go to www.olympic.org/onlinecourse or the Athletes’ Space on Olympic.org.

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Women athletes rock in Sochi

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12/02/2014

Athletes currently competing in Sochi at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games are thrilling spectators in the stands and viewers at home across the globe. More than 40% of them are women, and many of them are competing in newly added events, such as ski and snowboard slopestyle and women’s ski jumping, to name but a few. Delegations like Australia and Japan actually have more female athletes than men on board.

Women’s ski jumping’s successful debutIt was Germany's Carina Vogt who made history on Tuesday, winning the first ever women's Olympic ski jumping event in a nail-biting finale in which 2011 world champion Daniela Iraschko-Stolz of Austria claimed silver, ahead of third-placed France's Coline Mattel.

For Vogt, who has made eight World Cup podiums this season but arrived in Sochi still chasing her first win, her victory came as a genuine surprise. “I cannot find the right words,” she said. “I wouldn't have thought it was possible three hours ago. It's amazing, I'm the first women’s Olympic champion in ski jumping. I've not won a World Cup till now. It's unbelievable.”

Another German ski jumper, Gianina Ernst, born on 31 December 1998, did not end up in the event’s top ranks, but secured her place in the history books by becoming the youngest athlete competing in Sochi.

Some more highlightsThere is a lot of women power and fascinating stories around these days in Sochi, and here is just a taster: Jorien Ter Mors from the Netherlands is the first speed skater in history to compete in both the short and long track at an Olympic Winter Games. Justine and Chloé Dufour-Lapointe from Canada took gold and silver in the women’s moguls at Rosa Khutor and became the first sisters to occupy the top two steps of a Winter Olympic podium in half a century. Ukrainian twins Valya and Vita Semerenko are both competing in biathlon in Sochi, and Vita went on to win the first medal for her country in Sochi. Norway's cross-country skier Marit Bjørgen added a fourth gold to her fast growing Olympic medal collection; and 2012 Youth Olympic Games participant Greta Small from Australia hides the pressure on her young shoulders well, given the herculean and gruelling endurance test she has undertaken as she competes in all five events in Alpine skiing in Sochi.

Follow more fascinating stories on www.olympic.org in the coming days

Background information
When women first competed in the Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix in 1924, there were only 11 athletes which represented just over 4 per cent of the total competitors. Since then, female participation at the Olympic Games has come a long way. 

Read more interesting facts and figures here.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s commitment to gender equality extends well beyond its efforts to increase women’s participation at the Olympic Games however. It also recognises that gender equality is a critical component of effective sports administration and continues to support the promotion of women and girls in sport at all levels and structures.