(30.01.09)

A delegation from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was today in the Black Sea coastal resort of Sochi for a working visit with organizers of the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The scheduled Project Review visit on 30 and 31 January 2009 is taking place just before Sochi 2014 begins its ‘five-years-to-go’ countdown on 7 February 2009. The IOC delegation in Sochi included Jean-Claude Killy, Olympic skiing legend and Chairman of the IOC’s Coordination Commission for Sochi 2014, and Gilbert Felli, the IOC’s Olympic Games Executive Director.

In Sochi, the IOC team has been hearing that progress for Russia’s first Winter Games is firmly on track, as part of a series of meetings to showcase progress on all ‘functional’ aspects of preparations for both the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Winter Games.

Particular attention was paid to the progress made on the governance structure for the 2014 Winter Games, including collaboration with private investors and contractors.

During the visit, Sochi 2014 experts presented their environmental strategic construction plan, which will not only ensure that Olympic construction protects the unique natural environment of the region around Sochi, but also leaves a positive environmental legacy.

The environmental plan outlines a series of tangible actions for all stages of Games preparations. In the lead up to the Winter Games, power engineering and transport infrastructure will be modernized. During the Winter Games, alternative energy sources and low emission transportation facilities will be used. Following Sochi 2014, it is planned to integrate these alternative energy sources into Sochi’s energy supply system: a clear, long-term positive benefit for the people of Sochi.

During the IOC meeting, Sochi 2014 organizers confirmed that their specialist experience has been enhanced thanks to their observation of international sport events, including major competitions in Moscow and other Russian cities. During the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, a large team of Sochi 2014 will be in Vancouver to closely observe the whole process of holding the world’s greatest sports event.

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