Canada a sore luger?

Ahigh- ranking International Olympic Committee executive says a Canadian luge coach who hinted at technical malfeasance with the track — resulting in a fourth- place finish for Canada — should “let it go” unless he has evidence of cheating.

Speaking at a news conference Friday morning in Sochi, Gilbert Felli, executive director of the Games for the IOC, said it was the first he had heard about the allegations. A night earlier, Canadian luge coach Wolfgang Staudinger told a Toronto Star reporter that track conditions led to results that were “not normal.”

The Russians won silver in the team relay. Canada finished fourth, sliding down the track later in the competition when, to the coach’s eye, the track was slower, like someone had turned up the temperature on purpose.

“It’s always hard to prove, but I’m long enough in the business that I can tell you when people, especially the Austrians who won silver ( in doubles), were dropping half a second, that’s not normal,” Staudinger told the paper.

Germany won gold, Latvia bronze in both doubles and the team relay.

Staudinger said Canada had been running in a medal position, but fell behind the farther it went down the track, telling the Star, “that’s a clear sign that the track slowed down dramatically.” Felli said Staudinger had options if he suspected wrongdoing. He could appeal to the race director, he said, and the sport’s international governing body.

“As you know, in every competition, you always have people believing that people have tricks,” Felli said.

The weather in Sochi has also become a story on its own, with temperatures reaching 16 C on Friday afternoon along the Black Sea coast. Clear skies and warm sunshine have also been a factor in the mountains.

“If he has some proof or some argument then he has to put his process to the luge federations; then they will make investigations,” Felli said.

“And then after it will follow the process.”