The slopestyle course that drew complaints from some riders ahead of the Sochi Winter Olympics "is set to be modified after Norwegian medal hope Torstein Horgmo broke his collarbone in practice" Monday and is out of the Games. Athletes "had expressed concern about the steep jumps at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park course even before the official practice began Monday, days ahead of the first qualifying runs Thursday in the men’s slopestyle" (AP, 2/4). Int'l Ski Federation (FIS) organizers blamed Torstein Horgmo's injury "on the jump he was attempting rather than the course at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park where the event is due to make its Olympic debut." FIS official Roberto Moresi said, "He was just trying a really hard trick" (REUTERS, 2/3). ... North Korea "will miss the Winter Olympic Games for the first time in 12 years." An official with the IOC said that no North Korean "has qualified for the Feb. 7-23 Sochi Winter Games in Russia." The official added that North Korean athletes "also failed to earn special 'wild cards' for the Olympics" as granted by int'l sports federations (YONHAP, 2/4).
