Sochi 2014: Doubt over Team GB attending Olympics

Sochi 2014: Team GB would not confirm attendance of next month's Winter Olympics. Picture: Reuters

THE man in charge of Team GB at next month’s Winter Olympics in Sochi has told Scotland on Sunday he could not confirm that the team are “definitely going” to the Games after last month’s terrorist attacks in Volgograd.

Mike Hay, from Perth, said that in the wake of the attacks, which killed 31 people in the Russian city of Volgograd, 400 miles from Sochi, Team GB organisers were paying close attention to the threat level in the country.

“We are constantly monitoring the situation,” Hay said.

“We cannot say 100 per cent that we are definitely going to the Games because we need to make sure that everything is safe, but we are not contemplating that scenario at the moment.”

He added: “Obviously [Volgograd] is a concern for us, but we’re pretty confident that the Russians will be making sure that the Games are as safe as possible.

“We will be seeking assurances that absolutely everything is being done. And everything we have seen from the Russians to this point would give us a lot of confidence.”

Hay’s role as chef de mission is to provide support and advice to the British delegation of around 50 athletes and 70 support staff who are travelling to Sochi next month.

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: “The FCO advise against all but essential travel to North Ossetia, Karachai-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria.”