Olympic Winter Games - Sochi

[mel-world]

Hi there,

Any other AFF members attending the Games in Russia in 9 days? I have been here for a week already working for Network TEN at the International Broadcast Centre. It was warm and sunny Tuesday on the coast where all the stadia are located. Really too warm for a Winter Games. The mountains though do have plenty of snow so the competition should be good.

The Russians have spent so much money on the preparations and the security; you would hardly realise that a certain PM has a multiple interests in the area and a large winter estate just near the cross country skiing venue for the Games. Could be a reason why a new road was built at great cost to this area.

If we get good weather, the coverage will be really spectacular; looking at the broadcast plans and the multiple High Speed cameras and specialist cameras planned for the coverage.

More later, if there is any interest. Let me know if you are coming for work or spectating. Some of the mountain hotels are rushing to be finished and get licensed before the Games start.

 

[Fifa]

Looking forward to your updates.
I'd love to be attending but will be skiing in Japan!

My favourite Olympic events are ski cross and boarder cross . Lots of excitement.

 

[QF WP]

From the stories yesterday mel-world, they are rushing to get things finished on time - but hope they are merely cosmetic rather than infrastructure.

Looking forward to some events.

Wonder if nlagalle is going?

 

[RB]

Hi there,


More later, if there is any interest. Let me know if you are coming for work or spectating. Some of the mountain hotels are rushing to be finished and get licensed before the Games start.

I am certainly keen to see any insights you can provide! What role do you have over there?

 

[mel-world]

I am certainly keen to see any insights you can provide! What role do you have over there?

Just let me say, I am part of the management team delivering the coverage to be telecast on TEN, ONE and TENPlay from next week. As TEN only secured the rights a few months ago, it has been a challenge arranging everything for the team of 90 travelling to Sochi at the moment. We have a great studio overlooking the indoor venues and the Olympic Torch near the coast and facilities at one venue (Extreme Park) in the mountains where it is hoped Aussies win some medals.

The airport for Sochi (AER) is near the Coastal Zone venues - it has been refurbished for the Games but it is some distance from the city of Sochi on the Black Sea 2 hours flight south of Moscow. We are all flying in on SQ via DME but the whole journey is taking 30+ hours due to lengthy connections in SIN and Moscow.

Presently the weather is not too bad with a lot of rain at the coast but we had some wet snow in the mountains late last week so there is plenty of cover and copious numbers of artificial snow making machines near all the competition venues.

More later.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Is there any snow?

 

[mel-world]

Is there any snow?

Plenty of snow and cold again; -9 to -1C and snow tomorrow forecast at Extreme Park.

 

[Danger UXB]

Just been to Tignes in France for the day. Watched a few of the ski teams in training. Hope they have snow in Sochi like we had in the alps!

 

[Quickstatus]

The Russian president's car?

I think the big wheels are to support the massive weight incurred from armour plating the armour plated car

 

[SeatBackForward]

Hi there,
More later, if there is any interest. Let me know if you are coming for work or spectating. Some of the mountain hotels are rushing to be finished and get licensed before the Games start.

I doubt I'll ever get the chance to attend a winter Olympics, closest thing wad being a volunteerassure Sydney Olympics in 2000, but I find the winter event much more interesting them the summer games,. Looking forward to your updates and any insights you can share with us.

 

[mel-world]

We have had a couple of brilliant days both on the Coast and in the Mountains. Cold but clear and sunny. -6.5C at Extreme this morning and only 1C on the Coast. Normal press stories around regarding security, bad planning, cost overruns - seems some reporters only interested in negative stories. All the Aussie Team seem enthusiastic about the event.

The Broadcast Centre and the Media facilities are the most expansive I have seen. There have been a few issues with the rigging but TEN are ready to go with their coverage. The private jets are starting to arrive at AER with seemingly one to each commercial flight onto the single runway. There are stories about large landing fees being extracted from the world's wealthiest and the hardware having to be flown onto to IST after dropping their human cargo as there is just not enough room at AER for the number of business jets arriving. So I guess that means another fee for the pick-up as well. FWP. Even some large yachts arriving at the Black Sea port of Sochi, an hour down the coast from the Olympic coastal venues. Evan a warship or two being spotted off the coast.

Last Ceremony rehearsal tonight so first chance to see the spectacle. Getting busy here.

 

[Quickstatus]

Well hope it does not turn into a farce like Delhi...

Sochi hotel construction woes hit social media | Miss Snow It All

 

[samh004]

Love the Winter Olympics, just annoyed that Foxtel doesn't have dedicated channels like they do for the Summer games.

Predict many a late night/early morning for me this month

 

[Quickstatus]

Full coverage on ONE HD
And because we have Foxtel satellite it's not transmitted on it. We are just putting antenna in now.

I think foxtel cable has ONE HD...???

 

[samh004]

I think foxtel cable has ONE HD...???

They do, but I recall for the Summer games Foxtel had 8 channels or so

 

[Quickstatus]

That's because winter sports in OZ is small despite what the winter sports governing body in Australia says. Most of the large entourage of athletes will not feature in any medal contention. For example in the alpine skiing events I think we only got one athlete in the top 100 in the world. The other 4 are just top 200-500 in the world. Other events are better in terms of world rankings of the athletes but its not big in Australia. A lot of sports where we are a medal chance are not really sports in Australia in the sense of grassroots and local community participation across the country. Ever seen aerials, in the snowy mountains or in your local communities?.

In fact the biggest (by any measure) winter sport in Australia is not even at the Winter Olympics. Rugby, rugby league, AFL

 

[samh004]

That's because winter sports in OZ is small despite what the winter sports governing body in Australia says. Most of the large entourage of athletes will not feature in any medal contention. For example in the alpine skiing events I think we only got one athlete in the top 100 in the world. The other 4 are just top 200-500 in the world. Other events are better in terms of world rankings of the athletes but its not big in Australia. A lot of sports where we are a medal chance are not really sports in Australia in the sense of grassroots and local community participation across the country.

I get what you mean and totally understand it, I just think they could sell it here, perhaps with 4 dedicated channels. They just didn't.

Ever seen aerials, in the snowy mountains or in your local communities?.

Not as far as I know on the GC, and I normally head to NZ... but haven't seen it there either. Have seen intense mogul fields, olympic half-pipes and huge terrain parks though.

 

[Quickstatus]

Geez 3945 SC ! That's serious flying...

 

[Princess Fiona]

Well hope it does not turn into a farce like Delhi...

Sochi hotel construction woes hit social media | Miss Snow It All

Here's another blog piece from Sochi.
Hope the OP's accomodation is liveable
http://deadspin.com/staying-in-sochi-is-a-hilarious-adventure-1515722114

Very much looking forward to the Games though

 

[Quickstatus]

This is a good one about double toilets:
The curious case of the Sochi double toilets | Sport | theguardian.com