IOC satisfied with Sochi progress

A top official of International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Wednesday that IOC is "on most accounts very satisfied" with Russian preparations for the 2014 Winter Games.

After the first inspection of Sochi's preparations since Vancouver passed the torch on February, Jean-Claude Killy, the chairman of the IOC coordination commission monitoring work in Sochi, said the "progress is very significant". The commission's last visit was in May.

Killy spoke after touring construction sites on the Black Sea shore and in the mountains.

Russia has less than four years to complete 30 arenas, courses and other facilities, not to mention the 200 associated infrastructure projects. All Olympic facilities in Sochi are being built from scratch.

"We visited almost all the sites, and we are absolutely impressed with what we have seen," Killy said. "A lot is still to be done. I sincerely believe these games will be better than promised."

Source:Xinhua