Russian-English email 'threatening' terror attacks during Sochi Olympics 'a hoax'

An email in both Russian and English languages that threatened to carry out terrorist attacks at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics has reportedly been regarded as a hoax.

Security is a major concern at all Olympics but especially in Sochi, which is in southern Russia just a few hundred kilometres away a simmering Islamic insurgency in the North Caucasus.

According to Sport24, a spokesperson for the Austrian National Olympic Committee said that the email was a hoax that officials had seen before, adding that it is a fake mail from a sender in Israel, who has been active with various threats for a few years, and had also come two years ago.

Hungarian sports officials, who first reported the email, said that they have received assurances from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and from the Sochi organisers that the email had no merit and as such, the Hungarian Olympic Committee said that it would still take part in the Winter Games, which run from 7 February - 23 February.

Olympic committees from several other European countries, including Germany, Britain and Austria, said they had also received a similar message.