(ATR) Vladimir Putin’s point man on the Olympics delivers a confident assessment of the Sochi Olympics.
Dmitry Kozak waxed poetic about the Games at a press conference on Saturday.
"The friendly faces, the warm Sochi sun and the glare of the Olympic gold have broken the ice of skepticism toward the new Russia," Kozak said.
"The Games have turned our culture, our people into something that is a lot closer, more appealing and more understandable for the rest of the world."
His conclusion was reached by evaluating the feedback from athletes and spectators.
"These Games were for the athletes and spectators. I don’t know about any negative evaluation or remark.
"You can see that Russia has kept its word. Russia managed to prove to itself and the rest of the world that we are capable of making the impossible, possible."
Kozak also said there is nothing he would have done differently when preparing for the Olympics.
"Nothing should be changed here, ever," he said.
Asked whether the oft-quoted $50 billion was an accurate reflection of the cost of the price of the Games, Kozak offered his own estimate.
"The real cost is about 3.5 billion dollars for Russian taxpayers." President Putin in an interview last month the price tag for the Games was $6.9 billion.
When asked about the press conference from protest group Pussy Riot, Kozak grew agitated and dismissed their acts.
"Any attempt to provoke us into discussing any other questions or problems will be relegated to the backseat," Kozak stated. He said the "little acts" from the band "did not trigger anything."
Photos surfaced of a band member being flogged by a Cossack police guard during a Feb. 20 event.
According to Kozak, the individual was "apprehended in accordance with Russian law."
Responding to a question about security, Kozak said: "friendly, smiling police officers is also one of the elements of the Olympic legacy."
Written by Ed Hula III20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.
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