The Russian Prime Minister has been closely linked to the project since 2007 when, as then President, he travelled to the International Olympic Committee Session in Guatemala City to personally lobby on behalf of Sochi's bid and his presence is credited with helping the Russian resort on the Black Sea win the Games.

 

Putin remains keenly interested in preparations as he has his summer residence in Sochi and meets regularly with Chernyshenko and his team who are in charge of the biggest peace-time operation in Russia's history.

 

Chernyshenko told insidethegames: "He is aware of all the details and is controlling the project at all levels.

 

"It is his personal commitment and personal challenge.

 

"We will not let him down."

 

Chernyshenko, who is one of the keynote speakers at the Global Sports Industry Congress to be held in London on October 18 and 19, which insidethegames is an online media partner, claims that the project is on track both financially and logistically.

 

He said: "It is a great challenge to execute such a construction project within a certain period of time.

 

"The Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will indeed give Russia an opportunity to prove its unrivaled track-record in successfully delivering large-scale construction projects, while leaving an extraordinary sporting legacy.
 

"The Games in Sochi will boast the largest number of brand-new state-of-the-art facilities ever built specifically for an Olympic Winter Games.

 

"The Games in Sochi will offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to establish a winter sport capital in Russia, the world's largest winter sport country."

 

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected].

 

Read a full exclusive interview with Dmitry Chernyshenko, chief executive of Sochi 2014, who will appear at the Global Sports Industry Congress in London on October 19 here.  More details on the Global Sports Industry Congress click here.