March 7, 2014. President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Sir Phillip Craven before the opening ceremony of the XI Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi.

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March 7, 2014. President Vladimir Putin (right) and President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Sir Philip Craven (left) during the meeting with the board members and honorary council of the IPC before the opening ceremony of the XI Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi.

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March 7, 2014. President Vladimir Putin (centre in the background) during the meeting with the members of the board and honorary council of the International Paralympic Committee before the opening ceremony of the XI Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi.

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March 7, 2014. President Vladimir Putin (right) during the meeting with the board members and honorary council of the International Paralympic Committee before the opening ceremony of the XI Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi.

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March 7, 2014. President Vladimir Putin during the meeting with the board members and honorary council of the International Paralympic Committee before the opening ceremony of the XI Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi.

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March 7, 2014. President Vladimir Putin (second left) and President of the International Paralympic Committee Sir Philip Craven (left) during the meeting with the board members and honorary council of the International Paralympic Committee before the opening ceremony of the XI Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi.

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March 7, 2014. President Vladimir Putin (right) and President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Sir Philip Craven (left) during the meeting with the board members and honorary council of the International Paralympic Committee before the opening ceremony of the XI Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi.

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March 7, 2014. President Vladuimir Putin during his meeting with the members of the board and honorary council of the International Paralympic Committee before the opening ceremony of the XI Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi.

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March 7, 2014. President Vladimir Putin (left in the background) and President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Sir Phillip Craven (center) during the meeting with members of the IPC board and honorary council before the opening ceremony of the XI Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi.

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March 7, 2014. President Vladimir Putin (second left) and President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Sir Phillip Craven before the opening ceremony of the XI Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi.

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March 7, 2014. President Vladimir Putin (right) and President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Sir Phillip Craven before the opening ceremony of the XI Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi.

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March 7, 2014. President Vladimir Putin (right) and President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Sir Phillip Craven before the opening ceremony of the XI Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi.

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March 7, 2014. President Vladimir Putin (right) and President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Sir Phillip Craven before the opening ceremony of the XI Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and International Paralympic Committee President, Sir Philip Craven, at the meeting with International Paralympic Committee board members and honorary council members before the opening ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympics, March 7, 2014.

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From left: Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, Chairman of the International Olympic Committee's Coordination Commission for Sochi 2014, Jean-Claude Killy, and former IOC president Jacques Rogge before the opening ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympics, March 7, 2014.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Russian Olympic Committee President Alexander Zhukov before the opening ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympics, March 7, 2014.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach before the opening ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympics, March 7, 2014.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach before the opening ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympics, March 7, 2014.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and International Paralympic Committee President, Sir Philip Craven, before the opening ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympics, March 7, 2014.

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International Paralympic Committee President, Sir Philip Craven, before the opening ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympics, March 7, 2014.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and International Paralympic Committee President, Sir Philip Craven, before the opening ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympic Games, March 7, 2014.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and International Paralympic Committee President, Sir Philip Craven, before the opening ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympic Games, March 7, 2014.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks before the opening ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympic Games, March 7, 2014.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and International Paralympic Committee President, Sir Philip Craven, at the opening ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympic Games, March 7, 2014.

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