The city of Sochi, in southern Russia, is all geared up for the opening ceremony of the eagerly awaited 2014 Winter Olympics. The event will kick off tomorrow (8 February) and will continue till 23 February.
Here are some of the important Sochi-related apps for your mobile devices that will come in handy if you are following the event closely.
1. Sochi 2014 Guide - This interactive app provides a complete guide to all sporting events, with accurate information regarding the schedule of competitions during the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi. The app will help people in purchasing tickets, planning trips from Moscow, navigating through Sochi and sporting venues. It also covers the venues and the torch parade and is the official guide of the 2014 Winter Olympics. It is free and available for iTunes Store, Google Play Store and Windows Phone App Store, BlackBerry World (only for BlackBerry 10).
2. Sochi 2014 Results - This official Sochi 2014 results app gives complete details of both the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi. All medals awarded will be updated in real time and the app provides easy access to all the competition schedules and results.
The app is customizable and users can select the country/team they support, and also select the necessary topics. The users will then be alerted with the latest news as it happens on the field. It also gives updates on athletes. This app has been billed as the 'personal media center' for the games in Sochi. It is free and available on iTunes Store, Google Play Store and Windows Phone App Store.
3. Sochi 2014 Medal Alert -This is a simple medal alert app that allows users to select their favorite sport and the team/country they follow, and thus remain notified with the new events in the selected sport and team/country. It only has far less options when compared to the Sochi 2014 Results app but the design is clearer. Users will be updated with the medal tally of their favorites via this app. This app is free and available on iTunes Store and Google PlayStore.
4. NBC Sports Live Extra - This app helps users watch all events taking place in the 2014 Winter Olympics 'LIVE' (live streaming) and for free. However, users need to have an existing subscription of cable, satellite or TV to watch them. Users will also get push notifications with reminder alerts to the events which have been selected. Users can also browse and check the schedule online. NBC Sports video is accessible only in the US and requires 3G, 4G or WiFi data connection.
For users without a subscription, the app gives a 30-minute free trial. The app is available on iTunes Store, Google Play Store and Windows Phone App Store.
5. Olympic Athletes' Hub - This app plugs us into the verified social networking accounts (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) of athletes in the Sochi 2014 Olympics. Users can get an overview of the individual athletes and follow them closely throughout the Olympics. The app also takes the user across all the photos of their favorite stars. The app is free and can be downloaded through iTunes Store and Google Play Store.
Other important apps include BBC Sport (iTunes Store and Google Play Store), NBC Olympics Highlights (iTunes Store and Google Play Store), ESPN SportsCenter (iTunes Store and Google Play Store),Sochi 2014 Wireless Olympic Works (Google Play Store) and Bing Sports app (Windows Phone).
