SOCHI, Russia, February 7 (R-Sport) – Tickets for the Sochi Winter Olympics went on sale to Russians Thursday, exactly a year before the start of the Games.

Russian citizens and foreigners resided in Russia will be able to purchase tickets on the official website of the competition www.sochi2014.com.

Prices start at 500 rubles ($17) to see competition in the mountains and reach 50,000 rubles ($1,700) for a category A seat to the opening ceremony a year from now.

Ticket prices for the men’s ice hockey gold medal game will start at 7,000 rubles ($230), around 30 percent cheaper than Vancouver 2010.

Over 42 percent of the tickets will be cheaper than 3,000 rubles ($100) to attract as many fans as possible.

Fans will be able to get into any competition for a minimum of 1,500 ($50). Opening ceremony seats start at 4,500 rubles ($150).

To combat ticket touts, organizers are restricting sales to four tickets per person in hockey, figure skating and the opening and closing ceremonies and eight tickets per person for all other sports.

As well as buying a ticket, spectators will have to register them to obtain a so-called fan passport for gain access to Olympic venues.

The anti-tout law that came into force in January foresees the fines up to $30,000 for the resale of tickets to Olympic events.

People living abroad wishing to buy tickets have to go through the ticketing partners of their countries' national Olympic committees.

The opening ceremony is February 7, 2014.