NOVEMBER 27 sees the start of the Olympic Torch Relay from Olympia in Greece to Turin, host of the 2006 Winter Olympics.
The 20th Winter Olympics opens in the Italian city on February 10, and competitor countries are stepping up their preparations.
According to Bulgarian-language media reports, the country will be sending a delegation of 90 to Turin, including sports people, coaches, managers and guests.
On November 23, the International Olympic Committee announced that it had issued the anti-doping rules that will be applicable to the 20th Winter Olympics. The document has been sent to National Olympic Committees, International Summer Sport Federations and Anti-Doping Agencies.
During the Winter Games, doping controls by the IOC will include testing for all substances present on the 2006 List of Prohibited Substances issued by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and “will be conducted at any time or place with no advance warning required to be given to the athletes,” the IOC said.
The period of the Olympic Games is defined as “the period commencing on the date of the opening of the Olympic village for the Olympic Winter Games”, at the end of January, up until and including the day of the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games, meaning February 26 2006.
The IOC said that as part of its zero tolerance approach to doping, the number of tests will increase by 45 per cent in Turin, compared to Salt Lake City.
The IOC intends to authorise WADA to carry out doping controls, on behalf of the IOC, during the period of the Olympic Winter Games, outside of Italy and at non-Olympic venues inside of Italy and has authorised all anti-doping organisations to carry out doping controls on the athletes within their authority during the period of the Games, prior to the athlete having validated his accreditation and/or subsequent to the athlete having finished his final competition.
The Winter Games comprise seven different sports and 15 different disciplines. About 2500 athletes, 650 judges and umpires and a million spectators are expected to be at the 20th Winter Games.
Winter Olympics are currently a special subject for Bulgaria, which not only will be sending a team to Turin, but also is lobbying to host the event in 2014.
The Bulgarian Olympic Committee was scheduled to officially launch its 2014 Winter Olympics campaign on November 24.
Earlier this month, International Ski Federation president Gian-Franco Kasper told Bulgaria’s ski chief, Tseko Minev, that the country stood a good chance of being chosen to host the 2014 event.
According to the official website for Bulgaria’s 2014 bid, Culture Minister Professor Stefan Danailov has joined the bid committee, and will chair the committee’s Culture Commission.
According to the Olympic Charter, the country that hosts the Olympic Games has to prepare a cultural programme during the Games. Sport and culture are the two major value pillars of the Olympic Movement.
Danailov and his commission will have to prepare the Cultural Olympics within Sofia’s 2014 Winter Olympics Bid, regarding this as a wonderful opportunity for Bulgaria to show the world its unique cultural heritage.
“With this remarkable arts festival that goes along with the Olympics, our national culture will go beyond the geographical boundaries and will make millions of people familiar with the achievements of Bulgarians’ talent,” according to the website.
Ten commissions are working on preparations for Bulgaria’s 2014 Bid. Each commission will have to prepare and submit to the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne all the documents needed on Bulgaria’s ability to cope with the organisation of the world’s biggest winter sports event. The deadline is January 31 2006. The submission of the documentation to the IOC marks the end of the first stage of the preparation of Sofia’s bid to host the 22nd Winter Olympics.
Sofia will compete with six other cities: Almati (Kazakhstan), Borjomi (Georgia), Jaca (Spain), PyeongChang (South Korea), Salzburg (Austria) and Sochi (Russia).
In June 2006 the IOC will compile a shortlist of three or five, and the final choice will be made in July 2007.
