The head of the Altenberg sliding track has dismissed suggestions after two heavy bobsleigh training crashes that the venue was too dangerous as he rather pointed at the sport itself in what he named a global problem.
The Swiss four man bob of Michael Vogt and the German sled of pilot Johannes Lochner crashed during training on Tuesday on the demanding German course.
Several athletes were injured, with Swiss Sandro Michel in hospital in a stable conditions after chest, hip and thigh surgery.
Altenberg boss Jens Morgenstern said on Thursday that "I will not accept the fact that Altenberg is now being portrayed as a bogeyman. This is a global issue."
Morgenstern said there was no 100% safety guarantee at any sliding venue and said that sleds were becoming faster and faster. In order to slow them down again he he suggested narrower runners and aerodynamics changes.
"I don't think it's right that all the tracks in the world have an obligation to fulfil because of the further development of athleticism and equipment," he said.
Morgenstern added that measures to prevent the sleds from sliding backwards after the finish, which led to the severe injuries of Michels, were already tested on Wednesday.
Altenberg is holding World Cup events on the weekend, ahead of the world championships starting next week at another German venue of Winterberg.