Sochi almost ready, waiting for first althletes

Officials with the International Olympic Committee are suggesting the Sochi Winter Olympics venue is almost ready to play host to the world, nine days ahead of the opening ceremonies.

The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially the XXII Olympic Winter Games, or the 22nd Winter Olympics, are scheduled to take place from 6 to 23 February 2014, in Sochi, Russia. [File Photo]

The Olympic Village has yet to receive its first athletes.

However, IOC representatives have toured the facilities.

Sandrine Ray is an advisor to the International Olympic Committee.

"My first impression is that everything is pretty big, there are a lot of volunteers, everything new and this big advantage is that everything is in the same place, all the venues, the sports venues and the Olympic Village and all the facilities are really close to each other."

One of the key concerns of the forthcoming Games in Russia is security.

However, the IOC's Director of Olympic villages contends Sochi is the safest place in Russia right now.

Security staff have closed off access to the Black Sea coastline in Sochi to keep the venues secure.

Athletes arriving at Olympic Park will have to pass through security scanning and will be bussed directly to their villages.

Russian authorities have deployed more than 50-thousand police officers and soldiers to guard the Olympics.

Back-to-back suicide bombings in the southern Russian city of Volgograd, a key transit hub to get to Sochi, left 34-people dead in late December.