Only days away from the beginning of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, the slopestyle course will undergo changes, according to CBS News. International Ski Federation official Roberto Moresi declared that due to the multiple concerns and complaints coming from the athletes, the steep hills on the course will be trimmed at the top and bottom.
Sochi 2014: Slopestyle course will be modified before Olympics
A hard crash by a Norwegian snowboarder will force an overhaul of the slopestyle course less than one week until the start of the Olympics.
Joe Scarnici
The modification was brought about by an ugly crash during practice runs Monday, when Norwegian hopeful Torstein Horgmo landed hard on his face and right shoulder, breaking his collarbone. He will miss the Olympic games.
Many of the snowboarders in Sochi have expressed concern about the way the course is currently set up. Notably, there are several steep jumps that are seen as very risky, per CBS News.
“It looks pretty sketchy, the rails are sticky,” Roope Tonteri, the 2013 world champion in men’s slopestyle, was quoted as saying. “I think they wanted to make big kickers, and it’s not really good for riders, and it’s not really safe. I just don’t want to get injured. It’s not a really fun course to ride.”
Some riders don’t see the need to change anything drastically despite the issues that other have had, including United States participant Sage Kotsenburg, via CBS News, once again:
“It’s what we should be jumping at this level. It’s the Olympics,” he said. “They need a little bit of work. That’s how it happens. We ride, and after the first day the riders give feedback on the course. Then they work on it.”
The first races on the course in question are on Thursday, Feb. 6, for qualifiers.
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