Earlier this week the head of Olympstroy, Taimuraz Bolloev, stepped down reportedly due to health concerns – but the state-run organization responsible for construction for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games has quickly named a successor. Sergey Gaplikov has been appointed to take over the project according to an International Olympic Committee statement.
“We’d like to thank Taymuraz Bolloev for his hard work and dedication to the Sochi 2014 project. A lot of progress has been made and we are confident that the structures put in place by Sochi 2014 and the Russian Government will ensure that his departure will not impact on the progress currently being made. We welcome the appointment of Sergey Gaplikov and look forward to working with him.”
Gaplikov, 40, is deputy head of the Executive Office of the Government of the Russian Federation, according the the government Website. Previously he was deputy department head at the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation and later served as Head of the government of the Chuvash Republic.
The Russian project to host the Olympic Games started with a $12 billion budget, but the amount has escalated since the Games were awarded in 2007. As one of the most aggressive Olympic projects in history, most of the venues and infrastructure for the Sochi 2014 Games will be the result of new construction.
More details to follow as the story develops.
