Olympics 2014 Host (edit: It's Sochi, Russia)
 

will be announced within the hour.


Salzburg has been eliminated according to BBC and it's between Sochi and Pyeongchang. Both Russian and Korean Presidents attended the final bid presentations and Putin actually bought a house in Guatemala for the occasion!

That's too bad. I was hoping for Salzburg...

I have a difficult time seeing Sochi as anything other than summer resort...

Yeah, I've driven through some of the mountain ranges around it, and didn't see any snow or ski slopes (too many trees), but I guess I was at the wrong place.

I think it'd be great, though.

Salzburg would be a boring choice

Not really. Austrians really care about winter sports and it hasn't been there or in Switzerland for quite some time.

No, I mean it's predictable.

I think part of the Olympic program is to bring development to the city/region, and Salzburg already has the infrastructure in place.

The main reason I want Sochi to win is because South is the poorest region in Russia, and while it's developing well, this would be a great boost.

SOCHI GETS IT!!!!!!

Well - congratulations http://forum.talkabouttennis.com/ima...es/biggrin.png

Certainly better than Korea. At least from my perspective...

Congrats to Sochi. I couldn't find it on a map if you paid me, but maybe this is what the Olympic Committee intended (anyone remember Salt Lake City?).

I know you've been looking forward to this for some time, M8. Any chance you might get to go? Or do you have plans 7 years from now? http://forum.talkabouttennis.com/ima...lies/smile.png

jj

Well, you see, it depends on what I'm doing the Wednesday before... That week is just SO packed http://forum.talkabouttennis.com/ima...lies/smile.png No, I probably have as much chance of going as I would have had it been anywhere else.

Sochi has about as many people as Boston and 2 million tourists annually. It's on the Black Sea if you do go looking, close to Georgia.

This has to brighten Sharapova's spirits today.

Earlier this morning ESPN showed pieces of the celebration after the announcement. It was great -- looked like an amazing atmosphere.

jj

Yeah, CNN was livestreaming it last night. The clips were from after the announcement at 3 am in the morning!

They're are over-blowing this thing over there into something more than it is, though

Remember all the monetary issues with the Athens games? Their grandchildren will still be footing the bill.

With an area like this, I wonder if the event may eventually pay for itself simply by putting Sochi on the international map. Hmm, stats on Turin tourism post-2006?

jj

They've committed 12 million. The Russian federal budget has an underspending problem (I know, that's a foreign concept for Americans), so I'm sure the bill won't be a big issue. Sochi has been trying to posh itself up because it's competing with Turkey, Egypt, and the Crimea for tourists, and this will help.

i was hoping for pyeongchang though. an excuse for me to go back to asia.