Preparations are on track to hold ice skating test events ahead of the 2014 Sochi Winter Games Olympics, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak announced Wednesday.
With the mountain ski facilities passing their first major test this past winter, the 2012-13 season sees the newly built arenas by the Black Sea coast, set to hold competitions such as ice hockey and speed skating, put through their paces for the first time.
High-powered officials are convening in the southern Russian city to assemble and approve the final schedule for the test events, and Kozak noted that so far, everything is on track.
"All the necessary decisions, all the events that should be conducted for the successful staging of test competitions are planned, including the timeframes for completion and those responsible for conducting them," Kozak said.
"According to our provisional estimates, the plans are being fulfilled," he added.
The first big test event for the coastal cluster is expected in December, when the Bolshoy Ice Dome is set to hold matches of the Euro Hockey Tour, a hockey tournament among Russia, the Czech Republic, Finland and Sweden.
Other test events include a figure skating grand prix stage at the Iceberg Skating Palace, also in December, and the wheelchair curling world championships, set for February 2013 at the Ice Cube curling center.
Kozak said the fact that two bodies were responsible for the test events made things a little trickier than last year, when the sports ministry was the sole organizer.
The ministry will continue to be responsible for domestic competitions at the facilities this coming winter, with the Sochi Olympic organizing committee taking over the running of international events.
"Nevertheless, they are working well, well done," Kozak said. "I want to say to the organizing committee and to the sports ministry that they are working amicably, efficiently, and our plans are being realized."
Mountain cluster facilities will continue to be tested throughout the winter, with 21 test events set to be held across both clusters over the season.
