Welcome to Sochi!

Every two years since 1924, around the same time,

the winter Olympic Games are held in a large inter-

national city. Everyone around the world has Olympic

fever. We anticipate the majesty of the opening cere-

monies, the diversity of winter events, the athlete’s cra-

zy uniforms, and of course, the question of what coun-

try will win the gold.  However, many of us do not take

time to consider why certain cities are selected to host

the Olympic Games. What makes Sochi so special?

The process to become an Olympic host city is extesive

and rigorous. First, the city must submit its name to the

International Olympic Commission (IOC) and become

an “applicant city”. Then, the IOC goes through a check

list of qualifications that the applicant city must up-

hold in order to be considered. Sochi was chosen be-

cause 1.) it was a large enough city to withstand

the traffic that come with hosting the Olympic

Games, 2.)  the residents of Sochi felt that the

cost of hosting the Olympics would be worth

the job opportunities and improvement to

the city, and 3.) it had positive media expo-

sure.  Sochi, Russia also boasts some of the

cleanest air in the world, because it

is not situated near any industrial

facilities—perfect for Olympic

athletes.

After these qualifications have been met, the city is

considered a “candidate city,” and they will submit

another application and application fee to bid.

The prices for application are outrageously

high—the U.S. paid $15,000 to host the 2012

Olympics—and then the candidate must build

facilities to house the athletes and sports arenas.

Even though the price is steep, the reward of

massive publicity, job opportunities, and

patriotism is what keeps the offers to host

Olympic Games rolling in. February 7th-23rd,

athletes and spectators from 88 different

countries will come together their show support

and pride for their country, and compete for

the gold.

Sources:  i-love-moscow.com

teacher.scholastic.com