Windy Olympics: Gusts hit schedule, snowboarders
Frigid temperatures and windy conditions in Pyeongchang are making life difficult for athletes
High winds caused havoc at the Pyeongchang Winter Games on Monday as Olympics chief Thomas Bach dismissed concerns North Korea had tried to “hijack” the competition for political gain.
Angry snowboarders lashed out at organisers after the women’s slopestyle final was held in heavy gusts, causing nearly every competitor to take a tumble.
It came after the women’s giant slalom, featuring America’s Mikaela Shiffrin, was postponed until Thursday because of the wind – a day after the men’s downhill suffered the same fate.
While the skiing was postponed, the slopestyle went ahead with near-farcical results, as athlete after athlete hit the deck including gold medal-winner Jamie Anderson.
“The weather was bad and too dangerous,” said bronze medallist Enni Rukajarvi, while Austria’s Anna Gasser added: “So many people got hurt because of the wind.”
The International Ski Federation (FIS) admitted that conditions were “challenging” but defended the decision to go ahead with the event.