The third Winter Military World Games started today in the Russian city of Sochi, the International Military Sports Council (CISM) website says.
This year, more than thousand athletes from 26 states are expected to participate in the event. Forty four sets of medals will be awarded. The athletic program includes seven sport disciplines, which are biathlon, skiing races, alpine skiing, ski orienteering, ski mountaineering, indoor sport climbing and short track skating.
Military-athletes from countries belonging to NATO states will also take part in the Games.
Russian army's honor will be protected by many well-known athletes, members of the national teams, among them are the world champion in biathlon Maxim Tsvetkov and the bronze medalist Tatyana Akimova, the Olympic champion in short track Ruslan Zakharov and the three-time European champion Sofia Prosvirnova. Sofia Velikaya, Yelena Isinbayeva and Dmitry Sautin will be the Ambassadors of the Games.
