Sochi 2014 Winter Games plans on schedule

The organising committee of 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi are confident all construction work will be completed by next year, Russia’s deputy prime minister Dmitry Kozak said yesterday.

“We are sure that we are capable of finishing the facilities next year,” Kozak said at a meeting with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

“All facilities in the mountain cluster will be completed by the end of 2011, while the Black Sea shore cluster venues will be ready in the summer of 2012 at the latest.”

Kozak, who is the government official in charge of Olympic construction works in Sochi, added that 131 Games facilities were already finished, while 182 others were still under construction.

“According to our estimations we have finished around 70 per cent of the preparation works,” Kozak said.

The deputy prime minister added that the Games organising committee was planning to hold 19 national and international competitions of various levels in nine disciplines at Sochi Olympic venues in 2012.

“We are planning a tough testing of Olympic venues, including a leg of the alpine ski World Cup in 2012,” he said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Putin underlined the importance of quality control of the construction works at the Games’ facilities, saying that Olympic venues should be able to host competitions long after the end of 2014 Olympics.