Professional retraining diplomas of the Russian International Olympic University (RIOU) have been awarded to participants on the Sport Management course, after they all successfully completed their 10-day programme of study. The course, run by RIOU and Russian Olympians Foundation, targets athletes who have finished their sporting careers but continue to work in the field of sport and fitness. This time the programme brought together 19 athletes from 17 Russian regions, including Olympic medalists, winners and medalists of World, European and Russian championships, as well as directors, coaches and specialists from sport training centres, sport schools and federations. The participants were nominated by the Athletes' Commission of the Russian Olympic Committee and approved by the RF Ministry of Sport. Among them were Olga Danilova, two-time Olympic champion and four-time world champion in cross-country skiing; Maxim Opalev, Olympic champion and thirteen-time world champion in sprint canoeing; Alla Vazhenina, silver medalist in weightlifting at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing; and European champion in judo Elena Troyan.
During the programme, the participant studied aspects of sport management such as sport law, PR and marketing, sponsorship, facility management, sports industry development, and many others. The course included on-the-site classes at Sochi's Olympic venues of the Coastal and Mountain Clusters, as well as the Yug-Sport south federal training centre. The teaching team comprised senior officials from the RF Ministry of Sport and the Russian Olympic Committee, as well as leading Russian and international experts in the areas of sport management, marketing, law and psychology.
One of the participants, famous canoeist Maxim Opalev believes that getting professional training is crucial for athletes once they complete their sporting careers. After he stopped competing himself, Maxim returned to his home town of Volgograd to take charge of a specialised centre aimed at reviving rowing sports in the region.
‘RIOU has some of the most outstanding teachers in the field, and we had the benefit of listening to their lectures and learning about the practical nuances of sport management from them. Before going to Sochi, I visited RIOU's website and was truly amazed: a beautiful building, excellent lecture rooms and state-of-the-art learning technologies. I am sure that training at RIOU will help many ex-Olympians start a new life', said Maxim Opalev.
