Polish Olympic team welcomed in Sochi

Members of the Polish national team pose for photos during their official welcome at the Olympic village in Sochi. Photo: PAP/Grzegorz Momot

“We're all in fighting spirits and ready to go,” speed skater Artur Nogal told the Polish Press Agency (PAP).

Bobsleigher Dawid Kupczyk is captaining the Polish team, in what will be the 36-year-old's fifth successive Winter Olympics, after making his debut in 1998.

Polish medal hopes are pinned on ski-jumper Kamil Stoch and cross country skier Justyna Kowalczyk.

The opening ceremony will take place at Sochi's Fisht Olympic Stadium on 7 February, at 8.14 pm local time.

Artur Nogal added that though the team is in high spirits, the athletes have raised issues about the conditions in the Olympic village.

Luiza Zlotkowska, who won a bronze medal in speed skating in Vancouver four years ago, has said that there are no plugs or televisions in rooms, while Nogal noted that Poles were often squashed in three to a dorm, whereas Dutch athletes typically had their own rooms.

Many hotels have been reported to be not ready for the arrival of many national squads and that in some cases, partitioning walls have yet to be installed between lavatories. (nh/pg)

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