Hoey raises track concerns for bobsleigh after luge tragedy

IRELAND’S Chef de Mission, Siobhan Hoey has expressed concern over the venue for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton events at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

However she insisted that Ireland’s bobsleigh team of Aoife Hoey and Claire Bergin along with Pat Shannon (men’s skeleton) will compete on the course despite the death of Georgian luge specialist Nodar Kumaritashvili in a practice run on Friday.

The track was modified before it was reopened for competition less than 24 hours after the death of Kumaritashvili with the walls raised on some turns to make it less perilous.

Irish chief Hoey said: “I have raised concerns over this particular track in the past, and so have many athletes.

“It’s too fast, that’s the bottom line. The highest speed that Aoife had reached until now would have been in St Moritz.

“She said it was incredibly fast but she was happy. She said that it was a huge adrenalin rush.”

Hoey and Bergin reached a speed of 144kmh in practice according to the Chef de Mission. But she revealed: “that was without 100% effort at the top of the track. So it is only going to be faster (in competition)”.

However, Siobhan Hoey said that the Irish competitors don’t have any anxiety about competing following such a tragedy

“They would be respectful of any track, and they are particularly aware of potential difficulties that could arise here,” said (Siobhan) Hoey.

“But Aoife is happy with the way training went, she’s confident. She’s experienced enough too to know that anything can happen.

“We’re delighted that the situation of last week has been put behind us (when Brazil and Australia launched appeals which could have threatened Ireland’s participation).

“The girls have clear heads and can focus on what they have to do on the track.”