IOC: International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach is an excited man four days ahead of overseeing his first Olympics in the top job.

At a press conference held at the Main Press Centre in Sochi today, Bach thanked global media for their “great interest” in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

Since arriving in Sochi on Friday, Bach has been busy inspecting the various Athlete Villages, impressive venues and talking to athletes, coaches and officials in Russia.

“The Olympic stage is set,” Bach declared.

“The Olympic stage is ready for the best winter athletes of the world.”

Bach praised the “state of the art” venues that have been built for the Games, and also highlighted how some 80 per cent of athletes can walk directly from their “very high quality” accommodation straight to venues.

“It’s something I’ve never seen before at any Olympic Games… I think that the athletes will just love it.”

The new IOC President also placed a special significance on these Olympics. 

“These Olympic Winter Games are also a milestone in the development of winter sport,” Bach said.

With 10 new events on the 2014 program- Snowboard Slopestyle (men/women), Ski Slopestyle (men/women), Ski Halfpipe (men/women), Biathlon mixed relay, Luge team relay, Figure Skating team event and women’s Ski Jumping- the Winter Olympics have an edgier, more youthful feel than ever before.

“We can see with the numbers- winter sport is really of global interest- it’s not restricted anymore.”

Records are already being broken across the park- there are more nations competing than ever with 87; over 200 countries will televise the Games; and a monster 75,000 hours will be broadcast over the two-week period.

“It will be the Games with excellent conditions for the athletes not only for the Games but also for the future. It will be the transformation of the city and the whole region,” he said.

Bach stressed how big an impact the Games will have on Sochi and greater Russia.

“It will transform an old fashioned summer result to a modern, year round sport, tourist and convention destination,” he explained.

“This is the transformation of a whole region- this is creating the infrastructure for the future of the people here in this region."

Bach compared the development of Sochi to the transformation of London’s east end where “the Games served as a catalyst” for improvements in roads, housing and infrastructure.

“The project here in Sochi which was presented to the IOC session seven years ago was to create a winter sport centre for Russia,” Bach explained.

“After the dissolution of the USSR there was no winter sport centre in Russia anymore,” he explained. “Russia had to organise national championships outside the country.

“People will benefit for generations to come.”

The Sochi Olympic Winter Games begin on February 7, 2014. Approximately 2,800 athletes are competing including 60 Australians >>