A year fr om now, people from every region on earth will gather in this remarkable place wh ere the mountains meet the sea for a global celebration of sport and Olympic values. The eyes of the world will soon be on Sochi, and I have no doubt that Sochi will be ready. This sports-loving nation plunged into the task of hosting the Games with total enthusiasm, and the results are easy to see. Visitors to Sochi will enjoy world-class sports venues, modern infrastructure, spectacular mountain scenery and welcoming traditional Russian hospitality.

I would say that we’re delighted to see how the preparations are going for the Olympic Games in Sochi. It’s not easy to build sports facilities in the mountains - sometimes you have to adapt to the local conditions. Our Russian friends have done some great work and are running to schedule on all of it.

International Olympic Committee is fully satisfied with the pace of preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in the Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi. IOC officials are especially glad to note the intensity of attention, which the organizers of the Sochi Games pay to nature conservation in the Sochi area, a part of Russia that is amazing.

I have been very impressed by the work of His Royal Highness Prince Feisal Al-Hussein and the active role that he continues to play within the Olympic Movement. Jordan is in the Top 10 per cent of the world’s NOCs according to what it has achieved in such a short space of time, and Prince Feisal’s own initiative, Generations For Peace, is a great step forward in promoting peace through sport.

“I am delight to see the progress that has been made in the construction required for the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. I have seen at first hand the significant advancements that have already been made in the construction of the Sochi 2014 Olympic venues and that the work is being completed at a good pace and on schedule".

“What I love about Sochi is that it is a city with great potential for winter sports. The Games are opening a new winter sports region — there are traditional centers, such as the Alps, Scandinavian countries, the Tatra Mountains and now a new region is appearing, which is also focused on maintaining environmental integrity. Sochi is a unique location — you can be on the beach and see the snow-capped peaks, then drive 30 km, where you can participate in winter sports. I have no worries: construction is on schedule, but we still always say to our organizers: ‘Don’t waste time!”

“I would like to congratulate Sochi 2014 on the launch of their new brand. Every Olympic Games has an emblem and look that crystallizes the identity of those Games for all time and Sochi is no exception. The Sochi 2014 emblem will become one of the most visible and recognised marks for people of all ages from around the world over the next few years, especially as Sochi 2014 has made a conscious effort to link its brand to the digital generation”.

“Since the IOC decided in Guatemala that the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will take place in Sochi, we are completely satisfied with progress in preparation for the Sochi 2014 Winter Games”.

“Clearly the bid of Sochi was the best of all the bids we had to examine. The Russian Federation is an economically very strong country. It has a great tradition in sport. You have organized perfectly the Moscow Games and many world championships. You have won more than one thousand Olympic medals in the whole history of your country. So that puts you at the top three in the world for organizing the Games”.

“We are sending, on a regular basis, experts, contractors and construction experts to check and to monitor (Sochi 2014 preparation). They are telling us that it is a big work but very achievable and there is no red light whatsoever that is coming back to us. On a personal note, I have seen what the Russians are capable of doing in terms of sport; it is a big powerful country. Don’t underestimate the huge love for sport and the pride they have for their Games in Sochi. They will deliver, there is no doubt about that”.