Among the total of 2,000 participants Russians will vie in five sports - mountain ski, ski race, skating, floor hockey, figure skating. The senior Russian participant is 24 and junior 13 years old.
The Special Olympics idea - international program of round-the-year training and competitions for mentally handicapped children and adults - was initiated in 1963. The author is Junis Kennedy Shriver, own sister of the United States' 35th President John F. Kennedy (b.1917-d.1963). Now, the organization is led by her son Timothy Shriver. In Russia an organization bearing the same name was set up in 1999. It unites 70,000 people in 55 regions of Russia. RIA Novosti got this information from the president of the Russian Special Olympics, Andrei Pavlov.
Special Olympics are distinguished by a surprising aura, said Vyacheslav Fetisov, head of the Federal Agency for Physical Culture and Sport. "Such it was in Dublin, where the summer Special Olympics was held. I'm sure it will be such in Nagano, where in use will be the facilities and routes of the White Olympics'1998", he said. "Actually, normal aura reigns at the Special Olympics and at 'normal' Olympics the 'special' aura", joked Mr.Fetisov.
