- Date
- 09 Feb 2015
- Tags
- Sochi 2014 , IOC News
Sochi 2014 Wall of Champions unveiled to mark first anniversary
To mark the first anniversary of the successful hosting of the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014, the Sochi 2014 Wall of Champions has been unveiled in the Olympic Park in Sochi. An Olympic tradition, the wall celebrates the champions of a particular edition of the Games by having their names displayed in the host city for future generations to admire.
The Sochi wall is composed of two symmetrical white pyramids, which are six metres wide and 16 metres high each, symbolising the snow-capped mountains. The pyramids are connected by a three-metre wide stylised globe of the earth. The pyramids are covered with 887 plates in gold, silver, and bronze, with the names in English and Russian of the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic medallists on them. The wall also displays 88 plates with the names of the participating National Olympic Committees in Sochi.
The unveiling of the wall formed part of a day of celebrations to mark the one-year anniversary of the Games in the city of Sochi with events being held in both the mountain and coastal clusters. The highlight was an ice gala at the Iceberg venue, celebrating one year after the Games.
Attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and International Olympic Committee Coordination Commission Chair for the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014 Jean-Claude Killy, the gala saw a number of Russian Olympic Champions, Russian entertainers and young Russian athletes celebrate the Games and their legacy by performing routines on the ice of the Olympic venue.