Why did the Russians choose Sochi as the location for the Winter Olympics?

[CaptainPanic]

Why did the Russians choose Sochi as the location for the Winter Olympics? Judging by two main criteria, their choice is rather poor:

 

Climate

Russia is known for its harsh winters. They have never hosted a winter olympics ever, so you'd assume they have all of Russia to choose from. And yet they choose a sub-tropical humid location, which has a warmer climate than any previous winter olympics, ever. It is also one of the most southern locations in all of Russia.

 

Political

Sochi's Olympic park is located merely 4-5 km from the border with Georgia (Google maps), with whom the Russians have fought a short war as recently as 2008. It is also located merely a couple hundred kilometers from another separatist/rebel/fundamentalist-islam area (Chechnya) where groups seem to seek independence from Russia for several reasons. In fact, the whole Caucasus is a hotbed for struggles.

 

So, is this just a trick to extend Russian influence into the Caucasus? Or is there another reason? Any thoughts?

[swansont]

You need mountains for the alpine skiing, so that rules out areas not near mountains, and you need a transportation hub. Also the choice was made in 2007, so events in 2008 had no effect on the decision.