There is a growing sense among IOC members and those involved in the administration of the IOC that, whilst a truly worthy winner, Sochi still has an enormous amount of work to do in order to deliver on its ambitious Olympic vision and to fulfil the hopes and dreams of the entire Russian nation.
The first major job to be done, as far as those involved with the IOC are concerned, is the appointment of a strong and co-ordinated local organising committee. The committee will need a strong and passionate leader, equipped to follow up on and deliver Sochi’s ambitious Olympic vision.
The feeling among many IOC members is that Dmitry Chernyshenko, CEO of the Sochi 2014 Bid Committee, must be given a prominent and influential role in the delivery of the Games.
Speaking off the record, several IOC members said that Chernyshenko has deeply impressed the Olympic family over the course of the last two years with his vision, dynamism and leadership. He has the skills and connections that will be needed if Sochi is to deliver on its promise to deliver an historical Games, memorable for the whole Olympic Family, athletes and the spectators.
The IOC has experience of the importance of continuity between Olympic bids and the subsequent implementation of a bid’s vision. John Furlong excelled as President and Chief Operating Officer for the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation, bringing the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to the Canadian city against the odds. He helped lead the organisation through numerous phases and was subsequently appointed Chief Executive Officer for the Vancouver Organising Committee for the Games.
In other cases continuity between bid and delivery has been lacking, leading to a period of uncertainty - something the IOC are desperate to avoid with the 2014 Games.
With the 2004 Athens Summer Olympic Games, Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, the woman who headed the city's bid team, had to be brought back in to run the Games' organising committee, after initially not being appointed. The lack of continuity and action in the aftermath of Athens winning the Games led to delays and fear and speculation that Athens might not make it in time. Eventually the IOC's then president, Juan-Antonio Samaranch, stepped in and called for "drastic action". Soon afterwards, Angelopoulos brought back to run the Olympic committee.
