Russian Mayor Ilshur Metshin To Hold Opinion Poll On Kazan 2024 Olympics Bid

Mayor Ilsur Metshin of Kazan, the Russian city hosting the World University Games, "vowed Wednesday to hold a city-wide opinion poll on whether a bid should be made for the 2024 Olympics," according to R-SPORT. The idea was put forward by Russian Olympic Committee President Alexander Zhukov in the run-up to the student games earlier this month, with his close confidant President Vladimir Putin, noting that "the scale and format of the events were very similar." Metshin said, "This issue is under serious discussion not only in the media, but in society. ... We also need to ask the advice of the people. I want to conduct a survey to find out what our citizens want; what kind of party they want to see." Kazan has won praise for how it has handled the logistical side of the July 6-17 student games, "which have attracted in excess of 10,000 athletes taking part in some 27 sports and close later Wednesday" (R-SPORT, 7/17).