SOCHI, January 3 (RIA Novosti) – President Vladimir Putin tested the ski slopes at the Olympic host city of Sochi Friday as the Black Sea resort counts down to the start of the Winter Games.
Putin skied a few runs at the Laura complex for biathlon and cross-country skiing, located on the Psekhako Ridge in Krasnaya Polyana, which will host the mountain competitions when the Winter Olympics get under way on February 7.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev skied with the president before the two men enjoyed a glass of mulled wine.
Presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Putin would inspect all the Olympic facilities at Sochi’s mountain and coastal clusters during his visit to the city, as well as reviewing preparations for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games.
Putin would pay particular attention to buildings that are not quite finished yet, Peskov said.
The Winter Olympics are the focus of intense international scrutiny and security concerns following the double suicide-bomb attacks in Volgograd, 400 miles away, this week that killed 34 people and injured more than 60 others.
