Archive for the ‘Olympic Games’ Category
Olympic Games – Facts & Figures
DID YOU KNOW THAT…Cecilia Tait Villacorta went to the Olympics in 1988 in Seoul (South Korea) with the Peruvian volleyball team. Under the leadership of Cecilia, Peru won the silver medal in women’s volleyball. In Korea, she was considered as the best female volleyball player in the world.
DID YOU KNOW THAT…Iceland has never an Olympic gold medal.
DID YOU KNOW THAT…Japanese delegation got a total of 18 medals in the Sydney 2000 Olympiad: five gold, eight silver and five bonze, ending 15th in the final medal table.
DID YOU KNOW THAT…The first time that Burkina Faso (ex-French colony in Africa) had its own delegation at the Olympic Games was in 1972 in Munich, West Germany.
DID YOU KNOW THAT…Kiribati (pronounced Kiribass) competed at the modern Olympic Games for the first time at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens,Greece. The national team had two sprinters (Kakianako Nariki and Kaitinano Mwemweata) and a weightlifter (Meamea Thomas).
DID YOU KNOW THAT…the athlete Esther Brand captured the gold medal in the high jump at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games, becoming the first woman from an African country to win an Olympic medal. She was born in South Africa.
DID YOU KNOW THAT…In 1984, the United States won its first Olympic gold medal in men`s volleyball and successfully defended its gold in 1988.
DID YOU KNOW THAT…India finished 72nd position in the medal final table at the 1996 Olympic Games.
DID YOU KNOW THAT…The U.S.baseball team won the gold medal in baseball at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. The Olympic champions were: Mike Kinkade, Marcus Jensen, Shane Heams, Chris George, Ryan Franklin, Adams Everett, Travis Dawkins, John Cotton, Sean Burroughs, Pat Borders, Brent Abernathy, Kurt Ainsworth, Rick Krivda, Doug Mientkiewcz, Mike Neill, Roy Oswalt, Jon Rauch, Anthony Sanders, Bobby Seay, Dean Sheets, Brad Wilkerson, Tim Young, Todd Williams and Ernie Young.
DID YOU KNOW THAT…Angola sent 29 athletes to the 1988 Olympic Games, which were held in Seoul, the capital city of South Korea.
DID YOU KNOW THAT…Helmut Bellingrodt became the first Colombian athlete to win an Olympic medal in shooting.He won a silver medal at the 1972 Olympic Games in Germany.Like Ximena Restrepo (athletics), Pablo Restrepo (swimming), Maria Isabel Urrutia (weightlifting), Carlos Valderrama (football), Martin Emilio Rodriguez (cycling) and Bernardo Tovar (shooting), Helmut Bellingrondt was one of the greatest Colombian athletes of the 20th century.
DID YOU KNOW THAT….Puerto Rico sent 3 boxers to the 1980 Olympic Games, which were held in Moscow, URSS. They were Alberto Mercado (gold medal at the 1979 Pan American Games), Luis Pizarro and Jose Angel Molina.
DID YOU KNOW THAT…The first time that Koreans participated at the Olympic Games was in 1936 in Berlin (Germany), when Koreans were part of the Japanese delegation. In these Games, Sohn Kee-Chung won the gold medal in the marathon.
DID YOU KNOW THAT…The first Turkish to ever win a gold medal at the Olympic Games was Yasar Erkan in 1936 for wrestling. He is considered among Turkey
Discover Russia: Sochi, the Host of the XXII Olympic Winter Games
Moscow and St Petersburg are by far the most popular destinations in Russia but there is a lot more to see in that country. Amazing nature and views of Lake Baikal in Siberia will not leave disappointed any nature lover; a trip across Russia with the Trans-Siberian Railway shows how vast and different that country is; the towns and cities of The Golden Ring attract with their history and traditional architecture; Volga river cruises will show you Russia in its provincial charm… If you have visited Moscow and St Petersburg, it doesn’t mean that you have seen Russia. We, the Russians, say that real Russia is outside Moscow.”
You have probably heard about a city in the south-west Russia on the Black Sea coast called Sochi. Its mild subtropical climate makes it hugely popular with the Russians – it is a wonderful summer resort on the coast and winter wonderland higher up in the mountains in winter. Sochi came into the limelight a few years ago when it was chosen to host the XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games in 2014. Another sport event taking place there is the Russian Formula 1 Grand Prix which also starts in 2014. Film lovers attend Sochi International Film Festival every year in June. There is also a number of parks and gardens, museums and galleries, spas and therapeutic hotels in Sochi itself and in the surrounding area.
Due to the fact that Sochi is going to host the Olympics, at the moment the city infrastructure is being developed and renovated, so it is becoming more inviting and convenient than ever. For example, not many people speak English in Russia, even where they are supposed to do so – in hotels, airports, stations, etc. But with the international Olympic guests coming to Sochi, the local government issued a regulation according to which representatives of public services should be able to speak English. So, in Sochi you will find it easier to get assistance if you do not speak Russian.
As Sochi is the most preferred resort in Russia, if you make up your mind to go there, it is best to arrange your accommodation in advance, especially in summer. Another important thing to remember is that if you require a visa to enter Russia, you must obtain it before you travel as you cannot get it on arrival. Visa processing time may take a few days and require some research, so if you are not sure how to go about it, you can contact a visa specialist and not to worry about your application.
By: Irina Yunusova
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For more info on how to get Russian visa, please visit Russian visa support service.
