The announcement was made at the Sochi 2014 Translation Forum, the first of its kind in the history of the Olympics, held in the host city of the Winter Games.

With over 650 participants registered at the forum, delegates were able to discover the language services available at the Games and opportunities to work with the organising committee of the Games.

Up to 5,500 athletes and team members from 80 countries will be in Sochi in February 2014, and with a host of media and international visitors also expected, translation services will be essential.

The 1,000 translators will be both professionals and volunteers, and the number is double those who were providing such services at the 2006 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Turin.

The Sochi 2014 President and chief executive, Dmitry Chernyshenko, said: "The Sochi 2014 Translation Forum was a significant step in our preparations for the first ever Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Russia.

"We're aiming to provide the warmest welcome possible when we welcome the world to Sochi and speak the same language as our Olympic and Paralympic Games guests, so the Forum helped us to reach this goal.

"As the first Forum of its kind in the history of the Olympic movement, the Sochi 2014 Translation Forum was a further example that we are going to deliver the most memorable and innovative Games in history."

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