Irina Skvortsova, the Russian bobsledder seriously injured during a training incident in Germany, is improving, her mother said in a TV interview on Saturday.
"We were able to talk [when Irina was taken out of an induced coma]," Galina Skvortsova said on Rossiya 24 news channel. "She recognized me and her brother, and answered questions."
Skvortsova had a successful operation on Saturday to graft skin onto her right leg, a Russian bobsled team representative said.
Nina Grefenshtein said doctors were "satisfied" with the routine surgery, during which they also cleaned Skvortsova's wounds. Another operation is scheduled for Monday.
Skvortsova was injured when the Russian women's bobsleigh tipped over and stopped on the track in Koenigssee during a training run on November 23. She received multiple fractures, including to her hips and back, when the men's team crashed into the upturned sled at full speed.
Skvortsova was only brought out of her induced coma for the first time on Monday, when she was told what had happened.
The investigation into the accident has not been completed, with a spokeswoman for the Russian Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation saying it was important that an objective probe prevented such an accident happening again.
BERLIN, January 2 (RIA Novosti)
