Bubka on Ukraine Unrest; Sochi Sustainability; Japan Arrives -- On the Scene

Bubka Hopes Lviv Bid Unaffected by Unrest

Sergey Bubka says he hopes the turmoil in Ukraine will not affect Lviv’s 2022 Olympic bid or prevent Ukrainian athletes from traveling to the Sochi Games.

Two months of demonstrations in Ukraine against the government scrapping an accord with the EU in favor of stronger ties with Russia turned violent two weeks ago in Kiev. Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and his cabinet resigned. Protesters are calling for the resignation of President Viktor Yanukovych.

Bubka, an IOC executive board member, told a small group of reportersSunday that there were no concerns about Ukrainian athletes having troubles getting out of the country.

"We bring positive belief and peace through the Olympic Truce. I am confident it will go the right way and the peaceful way," Bubka said at the Radisson Blu hotel where the IOC EB met today.

Asked whether Ukraine’s situation would impact its Olympic team travelling to Sochi, he said: "All the athletes, no questions ... some athletes at home, most athletes in different training camps. Everything is fine – financially, preparations, equipment no question."

With Lviv bidding for the 2022 Olympics, its application file due with the IOC by March 14, Ukraine’s crisis has raised serious questions about a bid going forward from the city.

Bubka rejected the concerns.

"Of course, we know it is a difficult competition with five good cities. I hope it doesn’t affect," he said.

"The team is working full speed everything that is necessary we are preparing. We are doing our job."

Sochi Sustainability Highlighted

Mud around Sochi 2014 venues and last-minute construction are not signs of trouble, says the chief architect in charge of Olympic venue construction.

"I am not afraid that things are not yet completed," Oleg Kharchenko of Olympstroy, the state corporation for construction of Olympic venues and Sochi development as alpine resort, said at a press conference. "They are tiny details and will be completed soon."

The press conference addressed sustainability and the effect of the venues on the environment. Kharchenko said the aim was to "make sure we are not ashamed of what we’ve done. We’ve done a lot to preserve natural elements, saved all the animals we could and established an ornithology park. "

Noting that the world is "obsessed" with building green buildings and recycling, Kharchenko said, "Russia is having a difficult time to catch up."

He said it is hard to convince investors that they can recoup their costs if they invest in such projects, but that Sochi worked to meet requirements set by the International Olympic Committee.

"The Olympic Park used to be a large swamp," Kharchenko said. "There were a large number of obsolete buildings. It didn’t look nice at all. It wasn’t a place you would like to live. We created a totally new city."

Kharchenko denied that damage was done to the Mzymta Valley while constructing a new road connecting the Coastal and Mountain Clusters.

"We did it as carefully as possible and built overpasses and tunnels where possible," he said.

Danila Ovcharov, Sochi 2014 head of sustainability and the environment, said that damage to the environment that occurred at any construction site was "compensated for, and now this process is carefully managed and being monitored."

Ovcharov said the UN environment program is participating and there is a plan for the re-cultivation of the Mzymta Valley up to 2030.

Ovcharov explained the absence of separate recycling bins at the Games. There are garbage cans only for general waster and paper.

"We have constructed waste sorting and waste separation facilities," he said. "If you separate waste in the beginning, you have to keep it separated the whole way."

He said the waste treatment facilities are already operational.

Japan First Welcomed to Olympic Village

Japan is the first Olympic team to be formally welcomed into the Olympic Village.

On Sunday, about 20 of Japan’s athletes, coaches and officials filed in to the International Zone of the Coastal Village for brief flag-raising ceremony.

A Russian pop group performed a dance number for the team. The Philippines was another one of the NOCs to check in to the Coastal Village

Written by Mark Bisson, Karen Rosen, and Ed Hula III in Sochi

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