SOCHI: Competitors and coaches blasted Sochi Olympic’s snowboarding and freestyle courses as "retarded" and "far from perfect" as a fresh series of spectacular crashes marred the events.

Australian women's halfpipe favourite Torah Bright, who crashed in training, led the criticism, claiming organizers were not calling on expert course builders. "The people who are constructing the pipe aren't the greatest at their craft and it makes it challenging for us," she told Australia's Network Ten. Her coach and brother Ben Bright was less diplomatic, launching a bitter tirade at the state of the run at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park.

US star Shaun White, who will be chasing a third successive halfpipe gold, said the course was sub-par for the Olympics. "I'm hoping they figure out some way to make the pipe a little more manageable. It's definitely far from perfect," he said after Monday training. There were more crashes in the women's slopestyle freestyle skiing heats on Tuesday as competitors struggled with the conditions.

Gold medal favorite Kaya Turski, the world champion and four-time X-Games winner was knocked out after crashing on both her runs in the heats. The second time she stayed down motionless for a short while before gingerly skiing down to the finish, where she appeared unhurt.

Earlier in the Games, in the slopestyle snowboarding competition, the course came under fire after a number of heavy crashes. White pulled out of that event after crashing in training while medal favorite Torstein Horgmo had to withdraw after breaking his collarbone in a training fall. There were also numerous crashes in moguls. American Heidi Kloser tore her cruciate knee ligament and broke a thighbone in another accident.

Women's halfpipe champion from Salt Lake City in 2002, Kelly Clark of the US, is convinced that the pipe is manageable. "It's riding better than it did last year in the test event," said the five-time X-Games winner and bronze medalist from Vancouver.

Bullish US snowboard cross competitor Nick Baumgartner insisted that the danger was exactly what attracted athletes to the sports. "If it's dangerous and scary and I overcome that and do well, that's what I'm looking for," he said. "I'm looking for that rush, that adrenaline. That's the reason I do it, that's what brought me to this sport."

In Tuesday morning's freestyle skiing qualification, Canada's Dara Howell led the way with a score of 88.80. Compatriot Kim Lamarre (85.40) was second ahead of Britain's Katie Summerhayes (84.00).



