MOSCOW, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The victory of the Black Sea resort city of Sochi in the bid to host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games is like another gold medal for the country, Russian Olympic champions said on Thursday.

    Repeated Olympic fencing champion Galina Gorokhova said that she had such a feeling "as if I have won another gold medal for my Motherland." "And we are doubly happy because we feel our part in this great event, this victory," the celebrated sportswoman that together with other Olympians had a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said.

    "It is our common view," Gorokhova went on to say, "that the lion's share in this success belongs to our president." "When we were seeing him off to Guatemala from Novo-Ogaryovo, he was full of Olympic confidence. He infused in us some calmness, he added us hope," she said.

    "When head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Jacques Rogge announced the result, we had a feeling that is impossible to describe by words," Svetlana Bazhanova, the Olympic champion in speed skating, was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying. She hopes that her daughter is able to take part in the Sochi games in seven years.

    "It's our common victory," said Olympic champion in fencing Karina Aznavuryan who was happy for Russian sportsmen that will take part in the 2014 events in Sochi.

    "We witnessed many Olympic Games, many elections, but we have never seen such a presentation of a city that Sochi had," Olympic speed skating champion Lyudmila Titova said for her part. "Sochi residents are already affected by the Olympic spirit and largely thanks to such inspirational support we have won," said Titova.

    The Russian city of Sochi in Krasnadar province, has won the rights to host the 2014 Winter Olympics at the 119th International Olympic Committee's assembly, which formally began in Guatemala city on Wednesday.

    The city is between the snow-capped Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea, with an estimated population of 400,000 people.

    It will be the first time for Russia to host the Winter Olympic Games, although it has hosted the Summer Games in 1980.

    The 2014 Winter Olympics will run from Feb. 7 to 23.