Sochi 2014 Organizer Dmitry Chernyshenko Declares City Ready For Winter Games

With the end of U18 hockey world championships, Sochi 2014 organizer Dmitry Chernyshenko "has declared that the dress rehearsal for the Olympics was a success." Test events held in the framework of the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games "ended with the final game" of the U18 Int'l Ice Hockey World Championships in Sochi over the weekend. Over 3,000 athletes "competed in the events." During the '12-13 test events, more than 70 national and int'l competitions in all 15 Olympic disciplines and five Paralympic sports "were held at the venues where the Olympic athletes will compete next year." All functions and services of the Olympic venue "were tested by the organizing committee, including the ticket program." The total number of viewers reached 130,000 -- "surpassing expert forecasts nearly twofold" (MOSCOW TIMES, 4/30).