Following the Olympic Results Information Service (ORIS) homologation
testing of the systems in Sochi (RUS) in early July 2013, the FIS
Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard staff met with experts of the Sochi 2014
Organising Committee for another site inspection.The Extreme Park in
Kasnaya Polyana/Rosa Khutor, the site of the Olympic Freestyle Skiing
and Snowboard competitions is now in its final preparation phaseof the
six courses, with only a few fine-tuning adjustments remaining.
While the previous inspection in May 2013 focused on an extensive review of the test competitions, this time the first off-snow inspection of the finish area design took place in order to ensure all logistical expectations, between the sport, media and teams can be met during Games’ time.
"As we are running five back-to-back Snowboard events for ladies and men, another use of every meter of space is predetermined", highlighted FIS Snowboard Race Director Uwe Beier.
On the Freestyle Skiing side, which also features five events and 10 competitions, things are looking positive as well: "Our focus was clearly on the set-up of the finish area with the rights holders, mixed zones and coaches’ zones getting defined. After five years of planning and work, it is good to see the end in sight, but the last ten percent of work usually takes the most effort. We can now imagine that the setting is going to be very special for all of our competitions", underlined FIS Freestyle Skiing Coordinator Joseph Fitzgerald.
Aside from the finish area, comments and remarks from the test competitions, schedules, as well as roles and duties of National Technical Officials were reviewed in detail.
Additionally, the first traces of the Olympic spirit have been seen by the FIS representatives: "Besides the sport-related issues, it is good to see the construction dust slowly disappearing and the resort coming alive. We already saw many tourists who came up from the city enjoying their time in the mountains and in Rosa Khutor", concluded Uwe Beier.
Sochi was elected as the host city for the XXII Olympic Winter Games at the 119th IOC Session in Guatemala City on 4 July 2007. The Sochi 2014 Games will play host to the seven Olympic Winter sports (Skiing, Skating, Luge, Biathlon, Ice Hockey, Curling, and Bobsleigh) currently on the Olympic programme and will run from 7 to 23 February 2014.
