The International Luge Federation and the Olympics-2014 Organizing Committee have reached agreement that a bobsleigh/luge track for the next Winter Olympics in Sochi would make it impossible for athletes to travel at such high speeds as in Vancouver when getting down the track. This came in a statement by the Secretary-General of the International Luge Federation Svein Romstadt. The agreement was prompted by the tragic death of the Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, who crashed against a steel pole during a raining run just hours before the Winter Olympics kicked off. Although it follows from the official investigation that the incident was caused by the athlete's own error, a decision has been made to build tracks that would prove a lesser health hazard to athletes.
Russian luger Albert Demchenko, who is through with his Olympic competition, will stay at the Olympic Village for a few more days. He says he will advise Russian women-lugers on ways to improve their performance. There's nothing unusual about it, says Albert, since men-lugers always help women by offering advice or doing minor repairs. The final runs of women's luge singles are due on the 16th, with three Russians due to compete in the finals, namely Tatyana Ivanova, Alexandra Rodionova and Natalya Khoreva.
Russian snowboarder Andrei Boldykov lacked just a few centimetres to make it to the finals in snowboard-cross.
The athlete hopes that snowboard will eventually become a most popular Olympic event, adding that he will perform a lot better during the next Winter Olympics.
On Wednesday, February 17th, the Russian ice-hockey team is due to take on the Latvians. The Russian goalie Ilya Bryzgalov says he hopes that his headgear, painted by his little daughter, will bring the Russians luck.
"Here you can see a small horse, Ilya Bryzgalov says, here's a little dog, myself, my little son Vladik, his mum and my daughter. And you can see what she wrote here, - Love! Happy! Believe!. My five-year old daughter has drawn all that by herself".
All Russian ice-hockey players have already been through their first training sessions and are quite happy about the stadium and ice condition. What they certainly disliked was their supper at the Olympic Village canteen. They found it so bad that they left for a local McDonald's. Accoridng to several players, the Olympic Village meals are so unappetizing that fast-food cuisine seems better by comparison. Nor did the Russian ice-hockey players like their living conditions. For one, they've been offered no wireless Internet in their rooms.
Please rate: