UPDATE 1-Olympics-Moscow town wants 2014 events if Sochi fails

* Moscow town wants to share 2014 Olympics with Sochi

* Says it is ready to host bobsleigh and luge events

(Adds Sochi organisers declining comment)

By Gennady Fyodorov

PARAMONOVO, Russia, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Moscow region officials have said they could host the 2014 Olympic bobsleigh and luge events if the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi can not build the track on time.

"If the situation with Sochi becomes difficult, we are ready to help," the head of the Dmitrov region Valery Gavrilov told a news conference at the weekend at the conclusion of a junior World Cup luge event in the town of Paramonovo.

While Russian officials say the construction of all 2014 venues are on schedule and IOC president Jacques Rogge told reporters during his visit to Moscow in October he was happy with Sochi's progress, the bobsleigh and luge track has given local organisers a major headache.

In July, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ordered organisers to move the track to another location after the original site was criticised by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as "environmentally unfriendly".

Putin said the move has been agreed with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

WORLD-CLASS FACILITY

Sochi needs to build most of the venues and infrastructure from scratch, but Gavrilov said his town had a world-class facility ready to host major international events.

He said moving Olympic bobsleigh and luge events to Paramonovo, a small town about 30km north of Moscow, would also make sense from the economic point of view.

"Our track cost $50 million while Sochi's track would cost almost three times that much," he said.

Gavrilov added that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev liked the idea of Paramonovo hosting the Olympic events.

"When Medvedev opened our track in March 2008 he told (Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Olympic preparations Alexander) Zhukov that it could be used for the 2014 Games, but was told that such a big country like ours needs not one but several bobsleigh and luge tracks," Gavrilov told Reuters.

Spokesman for the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Gennady Shvets said there were no plans to move any events from Sochi.

"A master plan calls for all sporting events of the 2014 Games to be held in Sochi but it's always a good idea to have a back-up site, just in case," Shvets said.

A spokesperson for the 2014 Sochi organising committee said they would make no comment on the matter.

The International Luge Federation (FIL) said the Paramonovo track met all their standards but the FIBT, world governing body for bobsleigh, has yet to certify it.

"It was only a matter of time. I think by March we'll get the necessary certificate from the FIBT," Gavrilov said. "Next year we already plan to host a senior World Cup luge meet here and bobsleigh will not be too far away."

(Editing by Alison Wildey To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)