1.
GV Skiers on skilift up Elbrus mountain (2 shots)
0.08

2.
SV Mountains PAN DOWN TO ski resort
0.13

3.
SV Skiers leave cable-car
0.10

4.
SV Winter sports fans (2 shots)
0.21

5.
SV Skiers down slope (2 shots)
0.30

6.
SV Start of ice speedway race
0.35

7.
LV Riders round track
0.38

8.
SV Riders around track & across finishing line
1.00

9.
SV Man holding chequered flag
1.01



Initials SGM/1720 SGM/1736


SPORT: ATHLETICS

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: An unusually severe winter in the South of the Soviet Union has brought a bonus to winter-sports enthusiasts in the Caucasus Mountains. At Elbrus, in the Azau Valley, a new cable-car and ski-left system allows ski???s to reach snow slopes 3000 metres (10,000 feet) above sea level in just 20 minutes.

In these regions, the snow is good for skiing right through to midsummer.

In Moscow, too, winter sports are at their height with motorcycle riders from Finland, Sweden, West Germany and the Soviet Union competing in ice-sp???way championships at the Dynamo Stadium.

SYNOPSIS: At a recent meeting in the Dynamo Stadium, Moscow riders competed with teams from Finland, Sweden and West Germany. The visitors put up a strong challenge, but the young Soviet riders were more than a match for them, carrying off the team prize and most of the individual honours.