IOC ‘very happy’ with Venue Safety Despite Injury Surplus

February 17, 2014

The International Olympic Committee have reiterated the safety of the Sochi 2014 ski and snowboard venues by revealing the International Ski Federation and competing athletes are all “very happy” with the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park.

A number of athletes have sustained injuries at the venues in recent days, including Russian freestyle skier Maria Komissarova fracturing and dislocating her spine and her British counterpart Rowan Cheshire suffering concussion and facial cuts and bruising, both in training accidents.

Asked about that at a press conference on Monday, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said: “We monitor and collect data on the illnesses and injuries at each Games to develop ways of keeping up health and prevention strategies and so on.

“At the moment our figures are that there is no significant difference at all from Vancouver (the 2010 Winter Olympics).

“Winter snow sports are not without their risks, but we don’t see any difference between this Games and the last one.”

Adams emphasised that any decision on action to be taken if the venues are deemed to be dangerous will lie with the FIS.

But he added: “At the moment we are very happy and the federation is very happy, and from what I can see, from the comments of the athletes who are competing, they are very happy too – in fact, many of them have said it is the best course they have ever been on.”