Lausanne (Switzerland), Jan 9 (AFP) The condition of a figure skater seriously injured during practice for the opening ceremony of the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games has improved, Olympic chief Thomas Bach said Thursday.

The skater was taken to hospital and her life was "in danger" after a heavy fall Tuesday during the practice session, Swiss police said.

The skater, a 35-year-old Russian who lives in Germany, fell five metres (16 feet) onto the ice during final preparations at the Vaudoise Arena in Lausanne, where the youth Games ceremony will open later Thursday.

"We have been told that her condition has improved a little," Bach told a press conference.

Police said that the skater was attached to rings above the ice when the accident happened, causing "serious injuries." (AFP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)