The IOC Coordination Commission, led by chairman Jean Claude-Killy, completed its third visit to the Russian city on the Black Sea during which they toured the Olympic venues in Sochi and neighbouring Krasnaya Polyana, and received updates from the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee on topics ranging from athletes and media services to transport and culture.

Killy said: "It is awe-inspiring work that is being undertaken in the Sochi region.

"With 43 construction sites that are operational 24 hours a day, employing around 16,000 workers, we are looking at one of Europe’s biggest and most ambitious construction projects, and I am pleased to report that work is on schedule.

"Sochi 2014 has also learnt a number of lessons from their observation of the Vancouver Games, and this was obvious in the comprehensive presentations that we received from the very motivated staff that we heard from this week."

But Killy warned Russian officials that they cannot afford to let the pace of preperations slip.

He said: "We reminded the organisers that they need to continue moving forward in some areas, including accommodation, workforce recruitment and training, and construction, but we are confident that the project is on track and are impressed with the progress they have made over the past year, particularly in their very successful marketing programme."

Dmitry Chernyshenko, the President and chief executive of Sochi 2014, was understandably buoyed by the positive report of the Coordination Commission, who were making their first visit to the city since the end of the Vancouver Olympics in February.

He said: "We would like to express our gratitude for the time and effort that the IOC Coordination Commission has spent in Sochi to ensure that Russia’s first Winter Games is on track.

"Across the board, rapid progress is being made in our preparations to host the most innovative Winter Games ever.

"We will deliver on all our promises.”

The next full Coordination Commission visit to Sochi is scheduled from October 12 to 14.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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