Russian Radio In Olympic Vancouver: Do Not Be Surprised To Hear Russian Language on Vancouver’s AM 650
Autoradio in Vancouver
That is right. Russian radio is coming down to Vancouver to air Russian music and commentary during the 2010 Games. Russia's top morning radio station Autoradio will broadcast from the Russia House 8 PM to 5 AM PST every day February 12-28. Autoradio will broadcast from Vancouver to all of Russia, so that their listeners half a world away can get their morning fix of news and music from within the Olympic capital where it all happens. But, Vancouverites will also be able to tune in. Vancouver station AM 650 has leased its airtime to the Russians for the duration of the Games. So don't be surprised to hear Russian jingles on AM 650 on your way back from work. The Vice President of AM 650 Brad Philips says he is not sure if their station will do the same and go to the Sochi Olympics in four years time, but he says they are hosting the Russian radio because AM 650 has always been a community station, and the 60,000 Russians living here in Metro Vancouver are part of that community as well.
"It creates a great profile for us and raises awareness about the station," says Philips. "And, it is just another way to serve the community and be part of the excitement."
When I wondered if the administrators of AM 650 were at all worried that their listeners might be surprised to hear a foreign language radio instead of the familiar station, Philips said they are making announcements ahead of time to prepare their audience. Philips says he hopes that AM 650 listeners will support the station. "It is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It is not something usual, but we will be back to normal after February." Philips notes Russians will also play Canadian music as part of the CRTC rules that require all stations to broadcast a certain amount of Canadian content. But he says it is something Russians are happy to do. It makes sense for them to give the people in Russia a taste of the Canadian music while they are here.
AM 650 did not disclose how much Autoradio paid for their airtime, but Russians are sure spending big to get their presence in town noticed, all in an effort to promote their Sochi Olympics in 2014. Russians rented the Science World, one of the most spectacular and expensive venues in the city, to make it the official Russia House for the Games. The House promises to hold daily parties with lots of music and food. Russian athletes and celebrities are likely to pop up as well. Autoradio are planning their own party at the Russia House, bringing Russia's finest artists and musicians. But, I hear getting tickets to the Russia House might be tricky. So, line up early. And, give Autoradio a listen. Because are not music and passion for the sports the universal language we all understand?
Russian Olympic Team Sent Off To The Vancouver Games With A Prayer: Sport And Religion
On January 28, the Russian Olympic Team, all 175 members of it, will be sent off to the Vancouver Games with a blessing from Patriarch Kirill at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow. A special church service will be held to pray for the Russian athletes at the 2010 Olympics. After the service that will be broadcast live, the team will be heading off to Vancouver. On February 10, the Russian flag will be raised in a ceremony at the Olympic village.
The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow -- Photo by Flickr user renata ®
It turns out the tradition to bless the athletes before the Olympics has been observed since 1996 in Russia. Arguably, it is one of those “only in Russia” moments. From my own observation, the presence of religion, which is predominately Orthodox Christianity in Russia, has been a lot more tangible in the Russian society lately, and the athletes are no exception.
I have been noticing a lot of Russian athletes openly crossing themselves and praying before their performances. Of course, back in the Soviet times, that was unheard of. But now, it is definitely becoming more commonplace. From figure skaters to vault jumpers, I see more and more Russian athletes not being afraid or embarrassed to show their religious believes. Many say that religious openness ruined the image of the impeccable, confident sports nation that Russia once was. On the other hand, it is a manifestation of religious freedom to do whatever helps you, as an athlete, to compete better.
It is interesting that the IOC is taking the role of religion in sport a lot more seriously now. The Vancouver Olympic Village will have a religious service center open throughout the Games. The five major religions – Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, and Hinduism – will have worship rooms set up in the center. Even during the 2008 Summer Games in communist China, a religious service center was set up for the athletes to use.
When Fate Gives You A Second Chance, You Take It: An Interview With Former Russian, Now Canadian Skier And Olympian Ivan Babikov
Ivan Babikov In Competition
Getting second chances in life does not happen often, but it did happen to Ivan Babikov – a Canadian cross-country skier whose family came to Canada from Russia to look for a better life. An experienced skier in his native Russia, Babikov came to Canada in 2003 with little hope of ever racing again. Fast forward to 2009, and Ivan Babikov is on the Canadian Olympic team, representing Canada at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. After years of struggling to get his Canadian citizenship, Babikov had to skate for Russia until 2008. He now calls the town of Canmore, Alberta his new home and training ground, and he is sure living his dream…
I caught up with Ivan on the phone after he arrived from Davos, Switzerland, where he was competing in a World Cup event. We had a quick interview that brought up many interesting details about one man's tough journey to the Olympics.
--Ivan, first of all, congratulations on finishing in the top 10 in the men's cross-country ski team relay in Norway at the end of November. But, I heard that the Canadian team overall did not show very strong results in Finland just weeks ago. You actually did the best coming in 38th in the 15 km race. How is the team feeling about the results?
Yeah, in Finland, no one expected what happened to our coach. It was hard. He broke his hip. He will be back soon. Of course, we had to get used to working without him. It was hard in the beginning, but these little misfortunes are survivable, so it is ok. We still have time to prepare for the Olympics. We hope everything will be ok.
--How do you feel around your new Canadian teammates?
We have an awesome team. The guys are very friendly. We are all in it together, and no problems ever arise. We are a very close bunch and don’t make foes of each other.
--But, the language does not seem to be a barrier for you at all, does it?
No.
--When was your fist race as a Canadian athlete? And, how many races have you already completed for Canada?
Back in the day I was living here in Canada, but officially I was a Russian athlete. The sport is regulated by the International Federation, and every athlete has a license, so to speak, which defines what country you compete for. Back than, I still had Russian passport, so technically I represented Russia, although I was living and running races here. But, yeah, officially my first race for Canada was in December of 2008. And, right now, I am in my second season with the Canadian team.
--So, are you used to wearing the maple leaf on your uniform by now?
Of course, you get used to good things fast (laughs).
Ivan Babikov In Competition
--You were training and living in Canada when you came here in 2003. Did you make a decision to get the Canadian citizenship back than?
To be honest, when my family and I immigrated to Canada, I did not think that I would continue to race. I thought I would just get a job of some kind. I was doing relatively well in Russia, but I was not stellar. I had some good results, but I was not thinking about it seriously. I was not expecting to come here to race and represent Canada. I really came here looking for a better life for my family, so that my son could live in a good country, go to a good school and so on. When we came here, I was not even training, because I had a job in Toronto. So, I was not hoping for good results. But, than I had my first competition, did rather well and I thought why not try again? There were a lot of difficulties along the way, but it happened such that I am still here.
--Do you feel completely at home here now?
Yeah, Canada is probably home already. I have not been to Russia in a while. I have friends there of course. But, my entire family is now here.
--What did you find to be the most striking difference between your training and competitions representing Canada vs. Russia? For example, I heard Russian hockey players who come to play in the NHL say that that the training regimen here is a lot more individualistic, whereas in Russia, it is a lot more team centered with less freedom to do what you want to do.
I am a little surprised to hear that from the hockey players. Their sport is a lot more team-based. But, I think they have a point. It is sort of like that. I think it is because here in Canada you are being treated more as a human being. Canadians understand that if they make you comfortable, you will show better results on the track, you see? In Russia, it is not like that – there, everybody is put under the same label and being told, “Do this, because I know that is a good way to do it for everyone.” Here, you are asked what will ultimately work for you, what you think works well to get better results. So, it is a win-win situation here: athletes feel good because we are being treated as human beings, and if we succeed, the system also wins. It really is a double win. So, the approach here is simpler and more professional than in Russia. But, I think it is because the training system in Russia is a remnant of the way things were in the Soviet Union. There you treat training as you job. So, if you do not show up for work, you can be fired, etc. Your salary depends on it. And, here you do it as long as it is fun. Nobody is going to make you do anything, so if you want to go train, you do; if you don’t, than you don’t. In Russia, if you feel tired or do not feel well, they still say, “It is ok, go train.” Here, it is up to you. It is a more relaxed approach, but I think the results only benefit from that.
--So, it is the mentality that is different than?
Yeah, absolutely different. For Canadians - it is all about fun. For them, even if you do not do so well in a race, it is still fine. In Russia, even if you do well, you are being told, “it is no good, you still have to work on this and that…,” and you don’t feel satisfied as the result of that.
--You are on Twitter a lot. But, Twitter is hot with athletes lately – some of them use it to interact with fans, others use it for self-promotion. Why do you use it? (YTFiles – Twitter is a microblogging platform that allows users to interact in 140-character messages).
I would not say I Tweet a lot. There are other guys on the team who are even more active than me. I kind of do it sometimes just because everybody does it. People follow me, it must be of interest to someone. I just like to inform people about what I do, where I am, how I feel and so on. I think it is more for myself too, just to let go of some emotions. Just to show what I did and show to someone that I train, and I feel better because of that (laughs).
--Did you set your aspirations for Vancouver 2010?
No, I try not to think about it. Many North Americans have that mentality, as you said, of setting goals and striving toward something. I try not to think about it and see what happens. I will do my best to get the best results, but the thought of it is not in my head. I don’t wake up every morning and think about it – I think it would be too hard psychologically, especially for me. I never make grandiose plans. Of course, I go train every day and do the maximum to squeeze out everything from myself in training and competition, but the results vary: sometimes you don’t do well, sometimes you do better…
--Were you part of the “Own The Podium” program heading into the Olympics, or did the change of citizenship interfere with that? (YTFiles – “Own the Podium” is program launched in 2005 to prepare Canada to become the top winter sporting nation in the world by 2010).
Yes, they support me. They supported me all the way back since 2006, when I was just settling in. They understood that I am a team candidate, and backed me up. Getting citizenship ended up being a very long process, but the program managers tried to help me, which was kind of them.
--Do you hope to race in Sochi, Russia at the 2014 Olympic Games, or you are not making such long-term plans yet?
Of course I would want to. It would have been great. The Olympics will be in Russia. But, we will see. So far, I have the desire to compete for as long as I can. But, you never know how it will turn out with health and everything. Of course, if I have the means, the desire to race and good health, I will be there.
--You think the "home charm" will work?
I do not know where my home charm is anymore (laughs). I hope that it will help me here in Canada, and it will help me in Russia too.
--During the Olympic Games in Vancouver, there will be the Sochi 2014 Russia House where many of the Russian athletes, officials and entertainers will gather for the duration of the Games. Are you going to pay a visit?
I will be in Whistler. There will be a Canada House there. So, going to Vancouver for Russia House would be a long trip. The same thing happened in Turin (YTFiles – the capital of the 2006 Winter Olympics) where the Russia House was a four-hour drive from the skiing venues. That is why we never actually showed up at the Russia House back than. Typically, athletes like us who have a long stretch of competitions do not even have a chance to get out and see the Opening or Closing ceremonies. We start on the second day of the Games and go until the last, so we do not like to spend time and energy on things like that. But, if I had a chance to drop by, why not? I would go. I keep in touch with the guys from the Russian team, we are still friends.
--So, you do keep up in touch with the Russian national team?
With the athletes, yes. Because we were all on the same team at one time and represented the same country. Of course, things like that do not just go away…
--Why did you choose to settle down in Canmore, Alberta? Was it for training purposes?
Yeah, when I first came, I got in touch with Cross-Country Canada and I was told that the team is being formed here in Canmore. But, the training conditions here make for a very good training ground – the hills and the snow…Canmore is a hub for skiing and biathlon in a way.
--Have you had a chance to explore Canada and travel around? Or, are you entirely focused on training and competitions right now?
All my travel is limited to competitions – so when there is a Cup of Canada, or the National Championships, I travel around. So, of course I go places, but all of Canada? I did not explore all of Canada yet.
--What do you love to do in your free time, if there is such a thing for you?
Yeah, there is very little of it. But, I spend most of it with my family, my wife and son, or in front of a computer.
Ivan Babikov In Training
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Ivan Babikov In Training
YTFiles -- Photos and video attached are courtesy of Ivan Babikov. The interview was translated from Russian.
A Glimpse Of Alexander Ovechkin At The Bay Olympic Superstore In Vancouver: PHOTO and VIDEO
Alexander "The Great" Ovechkin has descended on the city of Vancouver to sign autographs this PM at the Hudson's Bay Company Olympic Superstore in the Pacific Center. Unquestionably, Ovechkin is one of the best players in the NHL, and he is becoming quite a socialite too. Today, over 500 people packed the Olympic Superstore waiting for hours in a long line-up just to meet Ovie.
Yesterday, I got an email from VANOC saying Ovechkin will be in town signing autographs. The only catch - I had to pre-purchase a merchandise item for Ovechkin to sign. It also said prices started at $98, which kind of made me abandon the idea of going, but than I figured I should go anyway to catch a glimpse of AO and take a few photos for my blog. But, when I walked into the HBC Olympic Superstore tonight, I saw hockey love all around -- people dressed in Ovechkin's jerseys itching to meet the big man.
I snapped a few pictures which you can see below. I also shot a video of the actual signing and the video of the insane line-up. Talk about "superstar" appeal, eh?
The Launch Of The New Sochi 2014 Brand: Highlights And Live-streaming
This is it! After delays caused by the tragic events of November 27, the new brand for the Sochi 2014 Olympics will be revealed at the Red Square at 8 am GST today. IOC President Jacques Rogge will help reveal the new brand. Due to the official state of mourning for the victims of the Nevsky Express bombings, the program of the Sochi 2014 Olympic brand launch has been modified. At this point, it is not very clear if the any of the celebratory events that were scheduled are going to go through.
The ceremony is being live-streamed on the Sochi 2014 official website www.sochi2014.ru.
I will be watching live!
And this is a snapshot of the new site featuring the new logo:
Sochi? What is that?
Here in Vancouver, Canada, we are head over heels in preparations for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, and the city is slowly but surely transforming into the Olympic capital it is bound to become in just three months.
But, did you know that the next Winter Olympic Games after Vancouver would be held in Sochi, Russia? From talking to people about Sochi, I realized that North Americans do not really associate the word “Sochi” with Russia. My friend once asked me if Sochi was some place in Japan. Well, I know the name is sort of unusual for a city in Russia, but the tiny town of Sochi will indeed be welcoming the world for the 22nd Winter Olympiad in 2014. And, it sure hopes to show class while doing that. I hear the 2014 Games are a tremendous occasion for Russians, and Sochi is sure to be worked up to impress.
I get a sense that whenever Russia gets to host a major international event nowadays, it becomes almost a pride thing to do really, REALLY well. Such was the case with the Eurovision 2009 Song Contest that Russia hosted this past May. Eurovision is an annual singing competition that is becoming a showbizz bonanza of multinational scale. This year, it was the first time in the event’s 55 years of existence that Russia got to host the contest. The outcome? Russians built the biggest and the flashiest stage in the history of the contest with lots of other perks, which in the end had Russia put together the most expensive edition of the contest – the bill came down to a whopping 40 million dollars.
So, when it will come to making the 2014 Games stand out, I am sure Russia will not hold anything back to make sure that its Games become the best Olympic Games ever.
Today’s launch of the Olympic brand, emblem and slogan of the 2014 Games will sure be a huge milestone for Sochi. And already, sky is the limit -- the Olympic news source GamesBids.com quotes Sochi 2014 President Dmitry Chernyshenko saying the Sochi 2014 logo will be the most innovative in the history of the Olympic Games. "It's a totally new experience and it's our philosophy, our way of thinking - it's quite simply unique", explained Chernyshenko.
Whether the new Olympic brand and Russia’s Games are going stand up to the hype remains to be seen.
Coming up on this blog: Sochi 2014 Russia House at the Science World in Vancouver – will it be the hottest ticket in town during the 2010 Vancouver Games?