IOC: Women's hockey won't get booted from Olympics

IOC: Women's hockey won't get booted from Olympics

SOCHI, Russia (AP) IOC spokesman Mark Adams says organizers are ''very pleased'' with the quality of play in the women's hockey tournament so far in Sochi.

Because of a format change that separated the top and bottom teams in the world, there have been fewer blowouts than in past Olympics.

Then-IOC President Jacques Rogge had been quoted after the Vancouver games as saying, ''We cannot continue without improvement.'' But Adams says the former president was supportive of women's hockey and was only thinking ''way into the future.''

The United States and Canada are the sport's two biggest powers, winning every gold medal at the Olympics and world championships.