Putin, Medvedev take to Sochi slopes to boost 2014 Olympics
By DPA, IANSSunday, January 3, 2010
MOSCOW - Russia’s president and prime minister hit the slopes in Sochi, planned site of the 2014 Winter Olympics, to give the Russian resort town a boost, according to Russian broadcasters.
A series of photographs showed President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin skiing and sharing a ride on a snowmobile. Nonetheless, the light-hearted event received some criticism as Medvedev wore only a knit cap, not the safety helmet recommended for skiing.
Putin, who had been criticized for not wearing a safety belt while seated in a car during a publicity session in Sochi last summer, wore a helmet.
Both men are vacationing with their families in the region. Broadcasters reported that they took a quick break from their skiing to talk.
