As well providing a place of study for Russian athletes, the $500 million (£313 million/€374 million) RIOU campus is also set to welcome international athletes including United States women's hockey player and Vancouver 2010 silver medallist Molly Engstrom and Poland's Athens 2004 Olympic swimming champion Otylia Jedrzejczak, who was awarded a scholarship onto the university's flagship Master of Sports Administration (MSA) course, which will see 27 students from 14 countries enrolled.

"RIOU's state-of-the-art campus, which meets all environmental requirements, is a clear example of Sochi's Olympic legacy," said Chernyshenko.

"The University's Olympic education programme will produce a new constellation of professional sport managers equipped with the right knowledge to stage major sport events.

"They will become not only top class specialists, but ambassadors of Olympic and Paralympic ideals and values as well."

RIOU was established in 2009 as a part of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games' legacy plans and its main headquarters will now relocate to Sochi from Moscow.

"The Olympic family has no boundaries, and RIOU's creation is a perfect example of this," said RIOU Rector Professor, Lev Belousov.

"Building a university from nothing has not been an easy task, but we have accomplished it.

"Our goal is to train the next generation of sports leaders by drawing on the vast Olympic knowledge and experience that RIOU's professors, visiting experts and the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee possess.

"I am delighted that so many sport leaders have been able to attend the campus inauguration today.

"To me it feels like the Opening Ceremony of an Olympic or Paralympic Games, which I hope many of our students will take leading roles in organising in the future."

Russian President Vladimir Putin (centre) gets the grand tour of the new RIOU Sochi campus

With just 144 days to go until the start of the Games on February 7, Putin revealed that he has also requested Kozak, the senior politician overseeing preparations for Sochi 2014, to send him progress reports every two weeks.

In February of this year, the Russian President fired Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) vice-president Akhmed Bilalov after he held him responsible for the delay in the completion of the RusSki Gorki Jumping Center, which Putin had visited.

The Sochi 2014 venue, built in the village of Esto-Sadok on the northern slope of the Aibga Ridge was also estimated to be well over budget following its completion in July, from an original $40 million (£26 million/€30 million) to $265 million (£163 million/€189 million).

Bilalov was later accused of misspending up to 15.5 billion roubles ($504 million/£335 million/€387 million) by Russian authorities leading him to flee the country and claim that he has been the victim of an attempt to poison him.

Meanwhile, Sochi 2014 organisers undertook a large-scale training exercise to test the readiness levels and cooperation between the Games' management structures.

The exercise, which was overseen by Kozak, saw the simulation of one of the days of the Games' next year - February 10 - which will feature preliminary and medal events in biathlon, alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, speed skating and short track speed skating.

Some of the athletes who will be attending the new RIOU campus in Sochi

Operation centres on transport, energy supply, construction and exploitation, security, media, and protocol were established, and over 250 representatives of Sochi 2014, key ministries, agencies and organisations, as well as the IOC, Roshydromet, and venue owners took part on the day.

The majority of these participants took their real Games-time places in Sochi as the others were located in simulated facilities at the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee office and during the training session, participants used the same communication channels which will be utilised during the Games, such as videoconference systems, telephone and radio.

"These training sessions will allow the Sochi 2014 team to test all functions and services ahead of the Games," said Chernyshenko.

"Due to their efficient operation, the world's audience will see the Games that enforce ideals such as fair play and unity and showcase modern Russia that is open to the world."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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