English translation of the CCTV report:
On 13 July 2015, China was awarded the right to host the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. In autumn that same year a Chinese delegation visited Sochi taking a tour of the city’s Olympic venues, as well as joining RIOU’s short-term educational courses. Six years have passed, and now China is about to kick off the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Because of the friendly relations established in 2015, our Russian friends in Sochi are very much looking forward to the Beijing Olympic Games.
During the Beijing 2008 Games, the International Olympic Committee, the Russian Olympic Committee and the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee signed a memorandum, under which the Russian International Olympic University was established in Sochi in 2009. Over the 12 years, the university has trained over 6,000 wonderful students, many of whom are now holding leading positions in their national sports agencies. Many Chinese athletes have studied at RIOU. For example, in 2015 renowned Chinese figure skater Shēn Xuě undertook one of RIOU’s short courses.
Tatyana Pomyatinskaya, head of RIOU’s Organisation Department, recalls: “I do remember how Shēn Xuě visited us in 2015 as part of the Chinese delegation to study Sochi’s Olympic experience and to take part in the student exchange programme. She was very charming, outgoing and positive-minded. She was so friendly to everyone.”
Yekaterina Markina, a government worker from Sochi, studied at RIOU in 2015 and met with the Chinese delegation. She keeps carefully the souvenirs she was given by the members of the delegation. Yekaterina recalls that during her time at RIOU she had a very warm friendly relationship with her classmate called MS. It turns out, MS stands for Ma Changyu, a Chinese short track speed skater.
Yekaterina said: “We called her MS in our international class, and we prepared a joint report with her. She is a very cheerful and interesting person. I’m sure she remembers me.”
Lev Belousov, Rector of the Russian International Olympic University, says that, now that the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing are approaching, the eyes of all winter sports lovers are on Beijing. He believes that when the Olympic torch is handed over to a different country, the Olympic spirit is also passed to the new host. He is also convinced that the Beijing Winter Games will become a superb celebration of unity, peace and friendship.
Lev Belousov emphasised that the memorandum on the creation of the Russian International Olympic University was signed on 8 August 2008, the opening day of the Beijing Games, which makes the event highly symbolic. Now he is happy that Russia is returning to Beijing for the Olympic Winter Games. The RIOU Rector expressed his confidence that “the Games will be delivered at the highest possible level”. He sincerely wished every success to the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.
(Sun Yibin, chief correspondent, China Central TV)
