The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) coordination commission ended its three- day visit to Sochi where the Winter Olympic Games will take place in 2014.
The commission praised Sochi’s progress and said that with 1,212 days to go until the event, Russian organizers remain on track to host the 2014 Games.
During its visit the commission saw several venues and infrastructure projects in the Adler region, including the Bolshoi Ice Palace, Olympic Stadium, Olympic Skating Centre, the combined road Adler – Alpika Service, and the new International Airport Terminal.
The commission also heard reports on a number of Games-related areas such as athlete services, sustainability, spectator experience, Paralympic Games, technology, construction, accommodation, transport, culture, education, sport, media services, medical, and work force.
The coordination commission was accompanied Wednesday by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Commission chairman Jean-Claude Killy said, “every time we meet with President (Dmitry) Medvedev or Prime Minister Putin we have a complete sense that this is priority No. 1 nationally”.
Killy said of the visit, “once again we have been impressed by the quality of the work that Sochi 2014 and its partners have presented to us during our visit. As they reach the halfway point in their preparations, we can see the progress that is being made, with sporting venues rising from the ground, new sections of road being used by the public, and environmental initiatives being undertaken. Sochi 2014 is delivering on its promises to the athletes, and preparations remain on track”.
He added, “it is also reassuring to see that the Sochi team has understood what still needs to be delivered, both in terms of infrastructure and in services to the athletes and others attending the Games. They are attentive to the task ahead and this must continue until the Games are over. With the highly competent team they have in place I have no doubt that this will be the case”.
Although preparations remain on track the commission said there remained areas that needed to continue to be carefully monitored by Sochi 2014 organizers, including the development of hotels, but he said the Russian team was well aware of the challenges. Killy said, “here we are talking about construction, in particular accommodation; workforce recruitment and training; and the coordination of the Games operations. Each of these areas is key for any Games, and Sochi 2014 is no exception. The organizers have underlined to us that they know that they must pay close attention to these areas, and I am sure that they will not let us down”.
Sochi 2014 head Dmitry Chernyshenko said his group is working with hotels to make sure rooms are affordable and to prevent speculation. He reportedly promised that 20,000 new rooms would be built, including 13,000 around the Olympic Park.
The coordination commission’s next visit to Sochi will take place March 22 to 24, 2011.
