SOCHI, December 6 (R-Sport) - Spectator seats at the Sochi 2014 Olympic figure skating venue offer embarrassingly poor visibility out onto the ice, the head of the International Skating Union said Thursday.
The entire second tier of seating at the Iceberg Winter Sports Palace features wide steel bars in front of each seat that partially block the view of the ice, a measure more typical of arenas built to host rowdy hockey crowds.
"If it causes a problem, this embarrassing situation should be removed," ISU president Ottavio Cinquanta said.
"I can't take the responsibility to tell you why they've done this because I don't know."
Cinquanta promised he would take the issue up with organizers.
"Of course, if there is something that is not positive, as the example you're raising, it is my duty to inform them," he said.
Cinquanta also expressed reservations that this week's figure skating Grand Prix Finals at the venue could see disappointing attendances, despite being officially sold out.
"I just hope the arena will be full. But you have to understand that to be sold out is one thing and to have the spectators is another," he said.
Thursday's opening day of competition saw a crowd of around 3,500 in the 12,000-capacity arena to watch short programs in all four junior disciplines.
The arena has otherwise come in for warm praise by the participants in the finals.
