Within the programme of visiting Sochi the British Ambassador Tim Barrow visited the RIOU complex and met with its administration. The main goal of his visit to the Winter Olympic Games 2014 capital was to see the major olympic clusters in Sochi as well as the Russian International Olympic University.

When attanding the RIOU building site the British Ambassador got the idea about the architectural concept and the current stage of constructing the university complex. He was really impressed by high technologies of future RIOU campus, stressing the importance for the building under construction to correspond to the IOC high ecological requirements (green standards) and standards of accessibility for people with disability. Tim Barrow expressed confidence that the university would definitely become a substantial element of Sochi olympic legacy.

During the meeting of the United Kingdom delegation with the RIOU administration the key questions of mutually profitable cooperation with British universities with the aim of strengthening partnership between the two countries on training staff for the Russian and world sports industry were discussed. Professor Lev Belousov, RIOU CEO, told the participants about joint work with the University of East London, the World Academy of Sport in Manchester, the Sheffield Hallam University. Pointing out high professionalism of British professors and experts, Lev Belousov shared the university plans on further involving them in the RIOU educational and research projects. There were also raised the questions of training staff to the Winter Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi.
Tim Barrow expressed his special interest in the forthcoming RIOU educational programmes presentation which is to be held in the summer 2012 in London during the Olympic Games.

Following the results of the meeting the British Ambassador highly valued the level of the Olympic University activities and expressed his willingness to support the RIOU administration in realizing international educational programmes as well as in search of British partners for educational and scientific cooperation.