Olympics-Russia faces time challenge in 2014 bid - IOC

SOCHI, Russia, Feb 23 (Reuters) Russia faces a challenge to be ready on time to host the 2014 Winter Olympics, International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials assessing the country's bid for the Games said today.

The IOC officials have completed a week-long inspection of Sochi -- short-listed for the Games along with Salzburg in Austria and Pyeongchang in South Korea -- ahead of a July deadline to announce the final winner.

Russia has never hosted the Winter Games and is pushing hard to bring the 2014 competition to Sochi, a city on the Black Sea coast lined with palm trees and better known as a summer resort.

''Maybe there are some challenges they may face. One is probably the time factor because there are so many venues and facilities to be built in the future,'' Chiharu Igaya, chairman of the IOC evaluation commission, told a news conference.

''Should you get the Games here you have only seven years to go and so the time factor would be rather pressing.'' Igaya said Sochi had many strong points too, including public enthusiasm for the event, Kremlin backing and Russia's pedigree in competing in winter sports.

The Kremlin wants the Games in part to showcase Russia's revival as an economic and political powerhouse under President Vladimir Putin and has already promised billion to develop sports and tourism in the Sochi region.

Putin often holidays and sometimes hosts official visitors at his villa in Sochi. This week he visited a ski resort in the region to promote the bid.

Moscow says it is an anomaly that Russia, whose sportsmen have one of the strongest records in winter sports, has never hosted the Winter Olympics. Organisers promise large and enthusiastic crowds at all the venues.

But a potential shortcoming of the Sochi bid is that almost all the stadiums, ski venues and infra-structure will have to be built from scratch.

Green groups have also criticised the bid, saying it would involve tearing down habitat for rare wildlife including brown bears and wild deer. Bid organisers say they will take account of environmentalists' concerns.

The Sochi bid was initially seen as an outside bet but Olympics insiders say it is now a real contender and may even have edged out the Austrian bid.

The IOC inspectors have already inspected the Korean bid and will visit Salzburg next month. The body will announce its decision in Guatemala City on July 4.

REUTERS SAM RAI2150