Such is the speed at which the Olympic and Paralympic clock ticks that the Sochi 2014 Winter Games now stand just a year away.

Wonderful "year to go" celebrations have been staged in the Russian city for both the Winter Olympic and Paralympic milestones – which are February 7 and March 7 respectively.

But perhaps the most interesting comments around the Sochi one year milestones have come from International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Sir Philip Craven.

Sir Philip, who is also a prominent International Olympic Committee (IOC), member advised Sochi 2014 not to attempt to replicate London 2012, despite the Games last summer proving one of the best ever.

"It must be remembered that the Winter Games are far smaller than those that take place in the summer," Sir Philip said in his one year to go message.

"Whereas the London Paralympics boasted 4,237 athletes from 164 countries competing across 502 medal events in 20 sports, Sochi will feature a maximum of 692 athletes from 45 nations. They will contest 72 medal events in five sports.

"The challenge for Sochi 2014 now is not to try to emulate what happened in London six months ago, but to build on the success of Vancouver 2010, the best Winter Games to date."

It is an interesting observation from Sir Philip, even though my most recent visit to Sochi at the end of last year made me feel like I was very much in a summer sport city rather than winter one.

As oppose to being a snow covered city you would associate with a Winter Games host city, I found a Sochi that was simply glistening in the sun, with a humid subtropical climate.

It is rather intriguing and the 2014 Winter Games itself will see almost the impossible happen with Sochi building an entire Winter Olympics and Paralympics pretty much from scratch.

While the task was always huge from the outset, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had little fear in awarding Sochi the Games once Russian President Vladimir Putin turned up at their voting Session in Guatemala City in July 2007 and assured them personally things would get done.

For Russia and for Putin, Sochi 2014 will be a display of personal pride and strength. That is why some estimates suggest the event will cost the country as much as $50 billion (£32 billion/€38 billion), making it the most expensive Games ever ahead of Beijing 2008.

Even now, the city looks more like a construction site rather than one that will be hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in less than 12 months.

But you can be certain it will ready in time and that it will be spectacular.

And if the IOC are at all worried, they are doing a very good job of hiding it.

"The eyes of the world will soon be on Sochi and I have no doubt that Sochi will be ready," said IOC President Jacques Rogge in a speech last month. "With support from the Russian people and public authorities at all levels, this city has come a very long way since Sochi earned the right to host the Games six years ago."

The IOC President also made a point "to particularly thank President Putin for his strong and unwavering commitment to the success of these Games" before closing his speech emphatically.

"We cannot predict exactly what will happen in a year's time but we do know that we will witness many unforgettable moments," he said.

"Records will fall and new heroes will emerge. The world is coming to Sochi, and Sochi will be ready to welcome the world."

I left Sochi at the end of last year feeling that while it didn't exactly look like a "Winter Wonderland", it looked like a very good host city for the 2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

That remains the case now, and even though it faces huge pressure to deliver following a hugely successful Vancouver 2010 and London 2012, you can very much expect Sochi 2014 to live up to the high expectations.

Tom Degun is a reporter for insidethegames. To follow him on Tiwtter click here.