Sochi Airport

Meryl Davis, of the USA, who won the ice dance event with her partner Charlie White. mentioned that the Iceberg Skating Palace in Sochi is a beautiful arena and the atmosphere is simply fantastic. She also revealed that they've been to Moscow several times but this is their first visit to Sochi.

"It's a really fantastic atmosphere,” added White. “First of all the Russian fans, no matter where they are in the country, really appreciate figure skating and ice dance, which is tremendous for us. Looking out of my room I have the mountains on the left and the ocean on my right. It just gives you the sense of grandeur and I feel like you kind of take that to the ice."

Reigning Olympic ice dance champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir finished second behind Davis and White, but the Canadians were still impressed by the venue, which will host figure skating and short track speed skating during the 2014 Winter Games.

“The arena looks great, the ice is fantastic," said Virtue. "And the weather is great too, unlike Moscow or St Petersburg, especially this time of the year. Hopefully we will be here for the Olympic Games in a year and a half. So far we are quite happy with everything.”

"For us it's a great privilege to be here so early,” added Moir. “The venue definitely has an Olympic feeling to it. It reminds me a lot of the arena in Vancouver."

Russia’s Yuri Larionov, who finished second alongside partner Vera Bazarova in the pairs event, was also full of praise for the Iceberg Palace.