Sliding from Whistler to Sochi

(ATR) Fans in record numbers flocked to the Olympic sliding venue at Whistler last month while Sochi makes plans to host almost as many at the new track for the 2014 Games.

More than 12,000 pushed the venue at Blackcomb Mountain to capacity for last Saturday's four-man bobsleigh finale. The Sochi track will host 11,000 visitors.

The bob racing Saturday race produced no crashes, in stark contrast to the six sleds that crashed Friday at curve 13, known as 50-50 for the odds of making it through unscathed.

“Friday wasn't so much a bobsleigh race, it was more survival of the fittest,” said John Jackson, pilot of the number-one Great Britain sled GBR1 pilot.

“I think (that corner) should be named more towards 60/40, maybe even 70/30.”

The Whistler Sliding Centre has come under intense scrutiny following the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili. Many have said the track is too fast and dangerous, while other athletes have defended the track's legitimacy.

Five teams pulled out of the four-man race including Dutch pilot Edwin van Balker, who backed out due to a “loss of confidence.”

“If you’re scared and you don’t get back, you’re not a bobsledder,” said Canadian brakeman Lyndon Rush.

“You’re not at the World Cup level, because you’re not very good. You can’t be good and be a chicken.”

Sochi Told to Make Track Safe

In the aftermath of the death of the Georgian luger, the IOC has warned Sochi organizers to ease-up on the design of the track being planned for the three sliding events of bobsleigh, skeleton and luge.

IOC President Jacques Rogge says he has written to Sochi 2014 CEO Dmitry Chernyshenko, urging that the track be built so that it is safe for athletes.

While the Russian National Sliding Center has yet to be constructed, the Sochi 2014 Games website describes the track for luge as the “most difficult ever” and for bobsleigh and skeleton as “the most challenging track ever designed”. Whether these descriptions still hold after the letter from the IOC President remains to be seen

The sliding center will be built at the Alpika Service Mountain Ski Resort with a finish area in Rzhanaya Polyana. This resort is located at an ideal altitude for that can take advantage of the snow cover from the Krasnaya Polyana mountains. State-of-the-art ice preparation technology will ensure accurate and constant temperature control along the track.

Besides design changes to reduce sled speeds, the Sochi sliding center was moved 18 months from a site that had provoked opposition from environmentalists who were concerned about the impact of the track on pristine mountain terrain.

Despite the changes, Sochi organizers say they are still planning to deliver the track in 2012.

“Bobsleigh is incredible adrenalin and brings indescribable emotions,” says Alexander Zubkov, pilot of Russia's silver-medal-winning bobsleigh team in 2006 and Sochi 2014 Ambassador.

“There is no getting used to it. Every time I get on the track, I experience unforgettable sensations.I am glad that owing to the Games in Sochi, we will have a modern track where I will hopefully make my fans happy in 2014.”

Legacy for Whistler Venue

After a successful finale to the Olympic sliding events, the venue will begin its transition from Olympic mode into its post-Games legacy operations.

Headed by the Whistler 2010 Sport Legacies group, the venue will complement the sliding track at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, as a lasting legacy in the training of the Canadian national luge, bobsled and skeleton teams.

“Ever since the bid, the goal for The Whistler Sliding Centre has been to thrive as a legacy for sliding sports post-Games,” said Cathy Priestner Allinger, VANOC executive vice president, sport and Games operations.

“Having two sliding tracks in Canada, and now four in North America, is extremely important in growing these sports at home and abroad. We’re proud of the key role this venue has played in pre-Games training and competition, its Games time use, and we’re confident The Whistler Sliding Center will continue to flourish for years to come.”

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Written by Todd Lawson and Ed Hula.