ISU chief slams poor visibility at Olympic venue

Sochi (Russia), Dec 8 (IANS/RIA Novosti):

Spectator seats at the Sochi 2014 Olympic figure skating venue offer embarrassingly poor visibility, the head of the International Skating Union said.

The entire second tier of seating at the Iceberg Winter Sports Palace features wide steel bars in front of each seat that partially block the view of the ice, a measure more typical of arenas built to host rowdy hockey crowds.

“If it causes a problem, this embarrassing situation should be removed,” ISU president Ottavio Cinquanta said Friday.

“I can’t take the responsibility to tell you why they’ve done this because I don’t know.”

Cinquanta promised he would take the issue up with organisers.

“Of course, if there is something that is not positive, as the example you’re raising, it is my duty to inform them,” he said.

Cinquanta also expressed reservations that this week’s figure skating Grand Prix Finals at the venue could see disappointing attendances, despite being officially sold out.

“I just hope the arena will be full. But you have to understand that to be sold out is one thing and to have the spectators is another,” he said.