What will Russia take from the Vancouver Games?

Coming soon... in 2014

Vancouver can breathe a huge sigh of relief as the 2010 Winter Olympics comes to a close, however next up hosting the event is Sochi, so how will Russia go about topping this year's Games?

Any past host city will testify that holding the Olympic Games is an expensive honour, however the financial benefits can be worth it with money coming it from tourism and sponsorship. It also has the distinction of putting cities on the map long after the Games end.

This is what the organisers of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics are hoping for them.

Historic event

"We are next," Sochi organizing chief Dmitry Chernyshenko said to reporters at the Vancouver Games' closing ceremony. "The bar has been well and truly raised."

Sochi's major Anatoly Pakhomov concurred, saying "This is a historic event for Sochi. We understand it is a huge responsibility for Sochi and for Russia and we can't let anyone down."

The world got a taste of what Russia would bring to their first Winter Olympics when the Olympic flag was handed from the mayor of Vancouver to the mayor of Sochi.

The closing ceremony also boasted a eight minute preview of what we might seeing in the Sochi opening ceremony in four years time; Russian sports stars, music, dance performers and giant glowing "Zorbs."

However underneath the glitz and glitter, there are concerns over whether Russia will be able to finish the massive construction projects on time? Then there are the funding issues, not to mention the safety concerns due to the proximity of the temperamental separatist Abkhazia region in neighboring Georgia.

However Russia is unlikely to let the pressure overwhelm them. Many are hoping that the summer resort will be transformed into a world-class destination with the Games acting as a catalyst for tourists.

"It's so important for Russians that they will not allow it to fail," senior Canadian IOC member Dick Pound said. "Whatever has to be done will be done."

However it is a great feat ahead of them; all the venues have to be built from scratch and despite all the sites being currently under construction by an army of 16,000 workers, the "biggest construction site in the world" has a lot riding on it... $7 billion to be precise.

"All the money is allocated and we don't see any risk for a shortage of finance," said Chernyshenko, who has a separate operating budget of $1.8 billion. Russia is also spending billions more on other non-Olympic projects but schemes that will enhance the area's infrastructure, such as the renovation of the Moscow-Sochi railway line.

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