The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission concluded its eighth visit to Sochi 2014 with Commission Chairman Jean-Claude Killy praising the organizers for the progress made in preparations for the Games
During the three-day visit the commission inspected several Olympic venues, including the sliding centre, ski jump facility, cross country/biathlon area and the coastal cluster. The commission was pleased that most of the venues are nearing completion or are already in use.
Sochi 2014 President Dmitry Chernyshenko said that lessons learned during the London 2012 Games as part of the IOC Observer Programme have helped his team fine-tune their operational readiness preparations ahead of the Games.
Killy said, “the venues have come a long way in a relatively short period since our last visit here, and we congratulate Deputy Prime Minister Kozak and Olympstroy for their work. We have also been impressed with the advances made in hotel construction, and, in particular, transport. It all bodes well for a successful season of test events ahead, as well as for a great legacy left behind for the local population”.
The commission reviewed all aspects of preparations for the different client groups, including athletes, International Federations, National Olympic Committees, marketing partners, spectators, the Paralympic Games, and the media, and said it was confident the organizers were firmly on schedule to deliver top-quality Games for all stakeholders in 2014.
Chernyshenko said, “we are currently focused on delivering the most robust test event schedule in the history of the Winter Games, with 47 different test events this season alone to check the venues and surrounding infrastructure to ensure we’re 100 per cent prepared.
“We are already making great steps, having this month held the Federation Cup figure skating tournament at the Iceberg Skating Palace. Located in the Sochi Olympic Park, the event was the first test in the coastal cluster, and the venue attracted high levels of praise from the athletes competing”.
The commission congratulated Sochi 2014 on its plans for the Olympic Torch Relay. The route will pass within an hour of 90 per cent of the Russian population during its record 65,000-kilometre journey.
Organizers outlined the activities of the Cultural Olympiad and educational program, and detailed their progress on volunteers. So far this year Sochi 2014 has held 700 cultural events in 130 locations around Russia, with about 900,000 people attending.
As for volunteers, twenty-six volunteer “hubs” located around Russia have received about 120,000 applications so far, including 4,000 from abroad.
Killy and the IOC’s Executive Director for the Olympic Games, Gilbert Felli, met with the heads of the volunteer centres in Sochi and thanked them for their hard work.
