Cross country course cleared on safety grounds

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

WHISTLER (Reuters) - Officials found no grounds for concern following Slovenia's complaint about the "dangerous" condition of the Olympic cross country course after one of their skiers suffered four broken ribs following a fall.

Petra Majdic plunged down a hill into a gully while training before the 1.4km sprint at Whistler Olympic Park on Wednesday but went on to compete in three qualifying races to claim a bronze medal.

"The competition jury conducted a full review of the incident which was available on a feed from the host broadcaster," FIS (International Ski Federation) said in a statement on Saturday.

"In the opinion of the jury, the corner in which the accident occurred skied well and did not present unusual risks. No other incidents occurred in the section of the course during training or the competition.

"FIS sincerely regrets the injuries caused to Petra Majdic as a result of her accident and wishes her a full and speedy return to fitness and cross-country skiing."

Slovenian team spokesman Branislav Dmitrovic had earlier told Reuters a protest had been filed with the IOC (International Olympic Committee), VANOC (Games organizers) and FIS because of "too dangerous" track conditions.

"Circumstances on the course were completely different from the previous days," he said. The course was icy and real fast and that caused some danger.

"It was a terrible blow for Petra who is now out for the rest of the Olympics."