Russia

Formula One outfit Caterham has reaped further commercial dividends from its decision to hire Russian driver Vitaly Petrov with Russian Helicopters announcing a new partnership with the team.

Russian authorities on Thursday claimed that security agencies had foiled a plot by Islamic militants to stage attacks up to and during Sochi’s 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

Sochi 2014’s infrastructure development for the Winter Olympics has come under the spotlight after former President Dmitry Medvedev ordered the country’s Audit Chamber to review bank lending to construction projects for the Games.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced that para-snowboard events will be included for the first time in the programme for the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.

SportAccord Convention has announced the move of the 2013 edition of the event from Sochi to Saint Petersburg.

Maria Sharapova is set to consolidate her position as the world’s highest-paid female athlete after agreeing a three-year sponsorship deal with Samsung.

Russian Premier League champion Zenit St. Petersburg has secured a substantial cash injection with Gazprom Neft agreeing a US$20 million sponsorship deal with the club.

Sochi 2014 has commenced its goal of ensuring the whole of Russia can enjoy the Winter Olympics by announcing Krasnodar, and the host city itself, as the first Sochi 2014 Live Sites.

Sochi 2014’s preparations for the Winter Olympic Games have received a ringing endorsement from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the governing body completed its seventh visit to the city on Tuesday.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has announced that the country will allow visa-free travel for fans at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Sochi 2014’s sports director Werner Augsburger has resigned after only four months in the job.

Baltika Breweries has been recruited as the official beer supplier to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

The organising committee for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi has named Avaya as the official supplier of telecommunications equipment for the Games.

Anheuser-Busch InBev, the owner of beer brand Budweiser, has become the first member of FIFA’s portfolio of World Cup sponsors to commit to supporting the 2018 and 2022 tournaments in Russia and Qatar, respectively.

Sochi 2014 chief Dmitry Chernyshenko has revealed that organisers of the event are targeting a surplus of more than US$300 million from the Winter Olympics as they bid to expand the commercial portfolio for the Games.

The Russian Rugby Union (RRU) has announced plans to bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup as the sport furthers its development in the country.