Russians overwhelming positive about Sochi 2014 – Poll

The first Olympic Winter Games to be hosted by the traditional winter-sport powerhouse, Sochi 2014 met or significantly exceeded the expectations of 94 per cent of Russians, the poll found.

In assessing individual aspects of the Sochi 2014 Games, Russians reserved the highest praise for the organisation of the Games (94 per cent), while 75 per cent of respondents believed the Games would leave a considerable positive legacy for the country for years to come. Most Russians, for example, think that the Games helped get children interested in sport (80 per cent), got people of all ages interested in playing sports (69 per cent), benefited the tourism industry in Russia (67 per cent) and contributed to positive change in the country (66 per cent), among others.

The Sochi Olympic Winter Games took place from 7 to 23 February and received universal approval from the athletes and stakeholders of the Olympic Movement. The Games were watched by a potential audience of 4.1 billion worldwide. In Russia, 88 per cent of the population followed the Games. 93 per cent watched on TV, 73 per cent via the Internet and 17 per cent on mobile applications, according to the survey.

Eight out of 10 Russians who watched the Sochi Olympic Games said it was the best event they had ever attended or watched. Similarly, 80 per cent of respondents also felt the Sochi Games were the most important positive event of 2014.

The independent report was commissioned by Sochi 2014 and conducted in April. It canvassed 2,093 respondents aged 16 to 45 from 22 Russian cities.