German police have ruled out a Russian women's bobsleigh team's fault in a tragic accident involving a men's team during a tournament in Konigssee that left one of the Russian athletes severely injured.
The senior vice-president of the Russian Bobsleigh Federation, Vladimir Mysev, told Russia's Vesti television on Thursday that police have preliminarily put the judges in charge of the luge at fault for the incident.
"The police were working all day yesterday and have already made a preliminary conclusion that our girls are not at fault and that the team of judges is to blame for their careless work," Mysev said.
The accident occurred when the women's team tipped over in the luge and stopped, after which the men's team descended, ramming into the women's bobsleigh and severely injuring Irina Skvortsova. The luge was not closed after the women's team's sleigh stopped.
Skvortsova was taken to hospital with multiple injuries, including her hips and back. She has since had several operations and is presently in an induced coma in the intensive care unit, but in stable condition.
MOSCOW, November 26 (RIA Novosti)
