Chinese officials to be trained in Sochi for 2022 Winter Olympics

SOCHI, June 22. /TASS/. The Russian International Olympic University (RIOU) has begun training of Chinese officials. If China’s bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics wins, they will be working in the competition’s organising committee, RIOU Rector Lev Belousov told TASS on Monday. The capital that will host the 2022 Olympic Games will become known at the 128th Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Kuala Lumpur on July 31. "We are ready to show by the Sochi example the whole process for managers directly involved in the organisation of major sports events: from the stage of the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games to the use of their heritage inclusive," Belousov said. The two-week course "Management of sports competitions" for 25 heads of sports agencies and facilities from different provinces of China includes lectures and seminars. They are devoted to designing ice palaces and ski slopes, organising ticket sales and work with the fans. Practical classes will be held at the mountain-ski resort Rosa Khutor, Laura ski and biathlon complex, Russkiye Gorki (Russian Hills) Olympic ski jumping complex. Chinese experts will also be shown the ways of using sports facilities in the post-Olympic period. The Russian International Olympic University was founded in 2009 in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding between the International Olympic Committee, the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee and the Russian Olympic Committee, as well as the Russian government’s executive order. The Russian Sports Ministry, Russian Olympic Committee and the Interros company acted as the founders. The University's educational programmes cover the main aspects of sports education: venue and infrastructure management, competitions, mass communications, diplomacy and administration, and career management. The university's main educational product is a one-year Master of Sport Administration (MSA) course. RIOU also runs a wide range of short-term programmes: career enhancement courses for retired athletes and sport officials from Russia's regional authorities, as well as seminars on Paralympic sports, barrier free environment and Olympic hospitality. RIOU’s campus can accommodate up to 500 students at a time. According to previous TASS reports, on June 9, candidates to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games - China’s capital Beijing and Kazakhstan’s Alma-Ata presented their bids to members of the International Olympic Committee. Read more