Cesana Pariol (pps) At the team captains´ meeting on Tuesday evening, the Sports Competition Manager of the Olympic track in Cesana Pariol, Ivo Ferriani, once again assured that everything was done for the “safety of the athletes”. „But a new track always holds problems“, said Ferriani, himself a former bob pilot, coach and manager of French and Canadian teams. Altogether four athletes had been injured in crashes during the International Training Week.
Brazil´s Renato Mizoguchi remains in a medically induced coma in a hospital in Turin, but is in a stable condition. On Wednesday, his girl-friendYuko Suzuki and his Japanese boss are expected to arrive at Turin, who were flown to Turin on invitation of the Organizing Committee of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin (TOROC).
„Our most important customers are the athletes and we will do our best in order to ensure their safety”, explained Ivo Ferriani. In order to create best possible and safe conditions, Markus Aschauer (Königssee), Ralf Mende (Altenberg), Paul Spieler (Igls) and Marco da Quinta (Cortina), four internationally renowned ice experts (“Eismeister”) had been invited to Turin in order to support the local chief of track Hans Sparber. Most recently, the Italian Sparber was „Eismeister“ at the Olympic track in Salt Lake City (USA).
By modifying the profile of the ice in the high-speed section of the track, curves 16, 17 and 18, a successful attempt was made to provide an even more distinct sliding line, especially for the weaker participants. Ivo Ferriani: „We are thankful for all suggestions in order to optimize the track.“ On Tuesday, the German federal coach Thomas Schwab, who had been one of the persons responsible for the homologation of the track, withdrew his letter of protest to the International Luge Federation (FIL). At the team captains´ meeting on Monday (as can be read up in the minutes), Schwab had explained: „I feel jointly responsible for the crashes“.
Austria´s Sports Coordinator Markus Prock, also a former World Champion, called Wolfgang Linger´s crash a „driving mistake “. „A crash like this can happen on every other track in the world“, said Prock. Linger, in 2003 in Sigulda doubles World Champion together with his brother, suffered a fracture of his ankle and calfbone. Latvia´s Maija Tiruma is recovering from her bruises in a hospital in Turin. 52 years old Anne Abernathy (Virgin Islands) is out of the World Championships in Salt Lake City (February 18 to 20) after fracturing her collarbone.