Sochi 2014 Tickets Could Be As Cheap As $6, Spectators Must Register Info With Gov't To Buy

Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee President Dmitry Chernyshenko revealed that sports fans will be able to buy tickets for the Olympic Park for 200 rubles ($6.60), "a fraction of the price charged at London 2012," according to R-Sport. In London, adult Olympic Park tickets cost £10 ($16). Tickets "give no access to venues within the park." Chernyshenko said, "You won’t be able to get into the Olympic Park without accreditation or a ticket. We’re not trying to make a business out of this, but we have to regulate the number of people. About 75,000 people will feel comfortable there." The Olympic Park is a "coastal collection of arenas for the skating and curling events, and will provide the stage for the medal ceremonies" (R-SPORT, 1/16). R-SPORT also reported fans who want to buy tickets to the Games "must register their personal details with the Russian authorities first." To receive the "Spectator Pass" required to buy a ticket, buyers must log their details with a new national database linked to Russia's new state ID card scheme, which stores the owner's passport information and bank details. Chernyshenko "insisted the scheme would be voluntary," but a Sochi 2014 spokesperson said that "it would not be possible to purchase tickets without the pass" (R-SPORT, 1/16).