Putin marks one year since Sochi Games

MOSCOW>> Russian President Vladimir Putin marked the oneyear anniversary of the start of the Sochi Winter Olympics on Saturday.

Putin said the 2014 Games were “bright, memorable and really caused a surge of positive emotions,” in comments reported by Russian media during his visit to Sochi on Saturday.

The anniversary was marked by the unveiling at Sochi’s Olympic Park of a “wall of champions” bearing the names of all medalists from last year’s Olympics and Paralympics.

Sochi mayor Anatoly Pakhomov handed out awards to some of the more than 25,000 volunteers who worked at the Olympics.

Russian athletes topped the Winter Olympics medal table at Sochi for the first time in 20 years.

The games were the most expensive Olympics in history at $51 billion, with Sochi and the surrounding area transformed by new transport infrastructure and utilities as well as the Olympic venues.