Georgia Wants Sochi 2014 Moved, Salzburg Steps In

Trend News reports the National Olympic Committee of Georgia and Georgian Olympians have asked the International Olympic Committee to shift the Sochi 2014 Winter Games to another city. A special appeal has been worked out which will be announced at the IOC conference in Istanbul, according to National Olympic Committee of Georgia head Giya Natsvlishvili.

Natsvlishvili told a press conference Wednesday, "we are not boycotting Sochi Olympic Games. We ask IOC to shift Olympic Games to safer place.

"In one's time Georgia supported holding of Olympic Games in Sochi, but the situation was not so dangerous at the time. Russia does not fulfill commitments undertaken to the international community, it cannot hold Olympic Games in Sochi impartially. Otherwise no one point will hold responsibility for security of sportsmen and trainers. We do not control Abkhazia and if something happens in this territory during Olympic Games we will not be able to hold responsibility for this".

The appeal said, "we call you to make such a decision which will enable to hold 2014 Winter Olympic Games in a peaceful manner".

Meanwhile should the IOC decide to take away the 2014 Games away from Sochi if it fails to finish its facilities in time, and in the wake of an alleged terror threat, Salzburg said it could jump in.

Salzburg governor Gabi Burgstaller told the economic daily WirtschaftsBlatt that it could revive its bid for the 2014 Games if asked by the IOC, reports AFP.

She said in an interview published Wednesday, "our great advantage is that we already have almost all our sports facilities. If the IOC needs us and also pays us a fair share of the rather sizeable Olympic Game revenues, I'm there".

The newspaper said only about 20 of the 250 facilities that need to be built in Sochi were now under construction.

IOC Co-Ordination Commission chairman Jean Claude Killy said in August it was "feasible" for Russia to finish its facilities on time, but noted that "they cannot stop working one minute, day or night", reports AFP.