Sochi is just about ready to roll, so with the eyes of the world on
Russia, CCTV's Natalie Carney takes a look at how people living in the
host city are reacting, as the Games take over their hometown.
Sun, sand and snow - greater Sochi is known as the unofficial summer
capital of the country. The Olympic Village is located 40 kilometers
south of the city, in the town of Adler, and people here have seen their
small community transform into Russia's multi-billion dollar
international showcase piece.
"The feeling of the Olympics approaching is bringing out joyful
emotions in me. I am really proud of our country, our city of Sochi, of
the fact that we are the ones to have a chance to host the Games," Adler
resident Dmitri said.
In the lead up to the Games, local businesses are thriving and some
hotels have even doubled their room rates, as thousands of athletes,
spectators and volunteers descend on this Black Sea resort city.
But not
all is perfect. Some visitors are finding unfinished accommodations and
infrastructure spoiling the town's image.
"I think that this has mostly to do with a lack of competence on the
part of the contractors who started doing the work, and then the road
started falling apart. Then it comes to money, and more money, and the
road is still not there," Adler resident Sergi said.
Meanwhile the threat of a possible terrorist attack, prompting
unprecedented security measures and could keep some spectators away. So
while the Games must go on, many Russians are asking, "at what cost."
As the eyes of the world focus on the opulent showcase Sochi will
offer, Russians are focusing on the efficiency of government
expenditures in creating the most expensive Olympics to date.
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