MOSCOW, November 6 (R-Sport) – Russia needs to make use of its home advantage in the upcoming Olympic test events in Sochi, Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said Tuesday.
As many as 64 test events will be held in Sochi this winter as the southern city prepares to host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
“Of course, it’s mandatory to use home advantage in Sochi,” Mutko said. “We’ll certainly investigate the experience of the Olympic Games in London.”
Mutko added that the Sports Ministry has prepared a comprehensive training program for Russian athletes to maximize performances in Sochi.
“All the 14 world championships in winter sports will take place this year, and the results will tell us about our level of readiness and our potential that we need to use in Sochi," Mutko said.
Russia will be seeking to bounce back from its worst-ever Winter Olympic showing in Vancouver in 2010, which yielded just three gold medals, as well as five silver and seven bronze medals.
