Opening races at ski worlds postponed due to snowstorm

By: Andrew Dampf, The Associated Press Posted: 1:15 AM CST Monday, Feb. 8, 2021 Last Modified: 12:18 PM CST Monday, Feb. 8, 2021

Advertise with us

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy - No fans. And two races postponed.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

*Billed as $4.00 plus GST every four weeks. After 24 weeks, price increases to the regular rate of $19.00 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

*Billed as $19 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy - No fans. And two races postponed.

Read unlimited articles for free today:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/02/2021 (1694 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy – No fans. And two races postponed.

The women’s combined that was slated to open the Alpine skiing world championships on Monday was postponed due to heavy snowfall. Then organizers also pushed back the men’s super-G from Tuesday to Thursday to allow more time to clear the course.

It’s a rough start for an event that was already deprived of fans due to a nationwide ban on spectators at sports competitions in Italy amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A view of the finish area after a women's alpine combined race was canceled due to heavy snowfall, at the alpine ski World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Monday, Feb. 8, 2021. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

A meter (3 feet) of snow has fallen since Sunday, and more was coming down on Monday afternoon, making it nearly impossible to create a hard and reliable racing surface.

The forecast calls for better weather from Thursday.

“I’m anxiously awaiting Thursday so I can see my mountains and show how beautiful they are,” said Alberto Ghezze, who is in charge of the courses for the organizing committee.

The start of the worlds has been moved to Tuesday with the women’s super-G, while the women’s combined was rescheduled for next Monday — which was a reserve day.

There are separate speed courses for men and women and snow removal began earlier on the women’s course.

An Italian army soldier helps clear the course after a women's alpine combined race was canceled due to heavy snowfall, at the alpine ski World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Monday, Feb. 8, 2021. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Aware of the forecast, organizers had already swapped the two portions of the combined, putting the slalom first and running the super-G as the second leg. The winner of the event is determined by adding together the skiers’ times from the two runs.

Mikaela Shiffrin, Petra Vlhova, Michelle Gisin and Federica Brignone are among the favourites in combined.

More than 300 course workers have been working day and night to push snow off the course.

“I’ve got enough men,” Ghezze said. “It’s the snow that has to stop.”

Making matters more complicated for course workers is the risk of avalanches.