ITALY: OLYMPIC GAMES - Bad weather postpones start of the women's Alpine skiing combined downhill race in Sestriere

Record ID: 331722

  • Title: ITALY: OLYMPIC GAMES - Bad weather postpones start of the women's Alpine skiing combined downhill race in Sestriere
  • Date: 18th February 2006
  • Summary: SESTRIERE, ITALY (FEBRUARY 17, 2006) (REUTERS) WIDE OF SNOW FALLING OVER PISTE VARIOUS OF ITALIAN MOUNTAIN OFFICIALS "ALPINI" LEVELLING PISTE VARIOUS OF SNOW FALLING PEOPLE WALKING IN SNOW BULLDOZER CLEARING SNOW FROM ROAD TRAFFIC DRIVING IN SNOW MORE PEOPLE WALKING IN SNOW OLYMPIC FLAGS WAVING IN WIND VARIOUS OF SNOW IN VILLAGE WIDE VIEW OVER OLYMPIC VILLAGE WITH SNOW FALLING
  • Embargoed: 5th March 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Weather,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA9WOZ0IMDTX3RX6NV1P9XS5O9J
  • Story Text: Strong winds and poor visibility forced the postponement of the women's Alpine skiing combined downhill on Friday (February 17) at the Turin Winter Olympics.
    The race was planned at 1100GMT but was first delayed and then postponed despite a planned change to move the start about 500 metres lower to the Super-G start.
    Some five centimetres (1.9 inches) of snow fell on the downhill venue of San Sicario overnight. Officials said the fresh snow could be cleared from the Fraiteve course in time for the race but the wind and visibility posed greater threats.
    Chief race director Atle Skaardal said on Thursday (February 16) that the two slalom legs of the combined would go ahead as planned in Sestriere later on Friday but the downhill could be postponed until Saturday, after the men's super-G, if necessary.
    Thursday's training run on the downhill course was cancelled because of the first snowfalls of the Games and low visibility.
    Croatia's Janica Kostelic will defend her Olympic title in the Alpine skiing combined event after she pulled out of Wednesday's (February 15) downhill race due to health concerns.
    The skier did not start on Wednesday because of a higher than usual pulse rate. Kostelic had a thyroid operation two years ago, and her health has been fragile ever since.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register