Olympic Notes: Russian Meteorological Office Says Sochi Will Have Enough Snow For Games

Russian Meteorological Office Dir Roman Vilfand said that Sochi "will have enough snow for the Winter Olympics in February." Organizers worked out a Plan B, "which included storing 450,000 cubic meters of last year's snow on the slopes through summer and installing what they described as Europe's biggest snow-making system." Vilfand said that "the organizers will probably not need the extra snow because data shows that Sochi will have enough natural snow" (AP, 12/14). ... French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Sunday said that "neither President Francois Hollande nor any top French official will attend the 2014 Winter Olympics" in Sochi. Fabius "offered no explanation for the move." Referring to Hollande and himself, Fabius said, "There are no plans to attend. Top French officials have no plans to be there" (REUTERS, 12/15).