Kyrgyz Government Allocates Money For Sole Sochi Athlete

People walk past the Olympic rings beside Sochi's Olympic Park amid preparations continue for this year's Winter Games.

BISHKEK -- The Kyrgyz government has allocated funds to send the country's only athlete to Russia to represent the country at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

The Kyrgyz cabinet's press service announced on January 31 that Prime Minister Jantoro Satybaldiev had earmarked 100,000 soms ($1,980) in support of alpine skier Dmitry Trelevsky. The same amount was allocated in support of Trelevsky's training sessions.

Three neighboring Central Asian countries are also sending athletes to Sochi.

Tajikistan will be represented by two athletes, while three athletes will represent Uzbekistan at the games.

Kazakhstan is sending 44 athletes to Sochi, including the Kazakh national ice hockey team.

Turkmenistan has never sent any athletes to the Winter Olympics.