After threats from terrorist organizations and a spreading of fear amongst visitors attending the Sochi Winter Olympics, olympics committee organizer chief Dmitry Chernyshenko announced Wednesday Sochi is safe and ready for the games to start, the Associated Press reported..
The Sochi Winter Olympics are nine days away and Chernyshenko said the city is "fully ready" to deliver safe sporting attractions, despite reports the city is a target for terrorist attacks during the games, according to the AP.
More than 50,000 police officers and soldiers will be guarding the Olympic sites and stadiums after a Muslim militant group who claimed responsibility for previous attacks which have claimed lives released a video with their plans on interfering with the games, the AP reported.
"I can assure you that Sochi will be among the most security-friendly games and all the procedures will be very gentle and smooth," Chernyshenko during a press conference, according to the AP. "History will be made."
Chernyshenko added that Sochi is the "most secure venue at the moment on the planet" but assured visitors the tight security will not interfere with the jolly atmosphere, according to the AP.
"You will see thousands of (security) people around but it's important to understand that the Olympics is a global event and the security is also a global multi-national event and state authorities are doing (their) utmost to deliver Sochi as safest for everyone," Chernyshenko said, the AP reported.
He also spoke about Russia's anti-gay propaganda law, which has received criticism from gay-rights groups and world leaders, and assured Russia will not discriminate against anyone's sexual orientation at the games, according to the AP.
Though IOC President Thomas Bach said Monday athletes would be allowed to express themselves at news conferences, Chernyshenko said political expressions will be limited to the "Speaker's Square," a designated area set up for protesters, the AP reported.
"I don't think they are allowed by charter to express those views that (are) not related to the sport at the press conference room," Chernyshenko said, according to the AP.
So far, Russia has spent $51 billion on the games which have undergone planning for more than a decade, according to the AP. Critics of the amount spent on the games claim billions have gone missing in "kickbacks and other corrupt deals."
Earlier this month, the Sochi Olympic sites received media attention after a reporter tweeted a picture of a mens bathroom stall with two toilets sharing a toilet paper roll.
"If you come and look around, this is the most state-of-the-art sports facilities in the world," Chernyshenko said of the sites, according to the AP. "Everything will be the cutting edge. This would not have been possible if these allegations of so-called corruption were true. The stadiums, the roads, the new hotel rooms - this infrastructure speaks for itself."
