The Russian Olympic Committee has invested more than $12 million in 2011 alone into the national sport federations as the country hopes to win big at their first-ever Winter Games, in Sochi 2014.
According to top officials, the ultimate goal for Russia is to finish first in terms of gold medals at the Black Sea resort.“We’ve invested around $12 million into various sports federations so far,” Akhmed Bilalov, Russia’s Olympic Committee vice-president, said. ”This money was allocated, in the first place, to financing foreign specialists, cutting-edge technology and scientific research. And we’ll keep up our support in the future so that athletes have access to top level trainers and equipment." "But the most important thing for us is not just to invest money but to get a result in the end,” he added. Canada have provided a shining example and a tough act to follow after the North American nation prevailed at their home Olympics last year.The Vancouver Games also witnessed the sharp decline of perennial powerhouse, Russia, who could manage only 11th in the overall table.