FUCK THE POLICE
911 EVERY DAY
http://www.thedailytimes.com/article/20100214/SPORTS/302149973
Olympic ski schedule shifted after delays
By Howard Fendrich
The Associated Press
Originally published: February 14. 2010 3:01AM
Last modified: February 14. 2010 12:25AM WHISTLER, British Columbia -- They saw this coming.
Skiers, coaches, officials -- all expected too-warm and too-wet weather at this ritzy resort. Now those very conditions have, indeed, transformed the mountain into a slushy mess, forced postponement of the first two Alpine events and scrambled the schedule less than 12 hours into the Olympics.
“All the athletes were about 90 percent sure something wasn't going to go off on time or just right,” 2006 Turin Games gold medalist Ted Ligety said Saturday. “Whistler is known for having poor weather this time of year. It's something none of us was surprised by.”
After deciding in the wee hours of Saturday to put off the competition-opening men's downhill slated for that morning, the International Ski Federation began shifting training runs and races, eventually devising a way to squeeze seven medal events into seven days.
That would leave another week for the other three races, and given that no Alpine event has ever been canceled altogether at a Winter Games, no one is panicking just yet. Then again, with more rain and snow on the way, and the possibility of temperatures in the mid-40s much of next week, no one is willing to guarantee the new plan will hold.
“We're still very confident that we're going to do it -- get everything finished,” Vancouver Alpine women's race director Atle Skaardal told The Associated Press. “You can't see into the future. I can't see into the future. So I can't give you a sure answer.”
The men's downhill was pushed to Monday, originally an off day. The juggled lineup keeps the men's super-combined on Tuesday, and the women's downhill -- Lindsey Vonn's signature event -- on Wednesday. The already-postponed women's super-combined moves from today to Thursday, another slot left open on the Olympic calendar.
The schedule then would revert to normal: men's super-G Friday, women's super-G the next day and men's giant slalom Feb. 21.
Whew.
After that, there would be two days with no racing, then the women's giant slalom on Feb. 24, the women's slalom on Feb. 26, and the men's slalom on Feb. 27 -- the day before the Vancouver Games end.
“We could get be back on schedule if the weather forecast is as it says,” Peter Bosinger, who oversees Alpine skiing at these Olympics, told the AP.
So far, though, a mix of snow, rain, fog and above-freezing temperatures turned sections of the Olympic slope into a mush too dangerous to be used for high-speed skiing. The top of the course isn't all that bad, actually, because it's relatively dry and packed with fresh snow. But farther down, conditions deteriorate, because that's where it's warmer and rain has been falling steadily
Olympic ski schedule shifted after delays
By Howard Fendrich
The Associated Press
Originally published: February 14. 2010 3:01AM
Last modified: February 14. 2010 12:25AM WHISTLER, British Columbia -- They saw this coming.
Skiers, coaches, officials -- all expected too-warm and too-wet weather at this ritzy resort. Now those very conditions have, indeed, transformed the mountain into a slushy mess, forced postponement of the first two Alpine events and scrambled the schedule less than 12 hours into the Olympics.
“All the athletes were about 90 percent sure something wasn't going to go off on time or just right,” 2006 Turin Games gold medalist Ted Ligety said Saturday. “Whistler is known for having poor weather this time of year. It's something none of us was surprised by.”
After deciding in the wee hours of Saturday to put off the competition-opening men's downhill slated for that morning, the International Ski Federation began shifting training runs and races, eventually devising a way to squeeze seven medal events into seven days.
That would leave another week for the other three races, and given that no Alpine event has ever been canceled altogether at a Winter Games, no one is panicking just yet. Then again, with more rain and snow on the way, and the possibility of temperatures in the mid-40s much of next week, no one is willing to guarantee the new plan will hold.
“We're still very confident that we're going to do it -- get everything finished,” Vancouver Alpine women's race director Atle Skaardal told The Associated Press. “You can't see into the future. I can't see into the future. So I can't give you a sure answer.”
The men's downhill was pushed to Monday, originally an off day. The juggled lineup keeps the men's super-combined on Tuesday, and the women's downhill -- Lindsey Vonn's signature event -- on Wednesday. The already-postponed women's super-combined moves from today to Thursday, another slot left open on the Olympic calendar.
The schedule then would revert to normal: men's super-G Friday, women's super-G the next day and men's giant slalom Feb. 21.
Whew.
After that, there would be two days with no racing, then the women's giant slalom on Feb. 24, the women's slalom on Feb. 26, and the men's slalom on Feb. 27 -- the day before the Vancouver Games end.
“We could get be back on schedule if the weather forecast is as it says,” Peter Bosinger, who oversees Alpine skiing at these Olympics, told the AP.
So far, though, a mix of snow, rain, fog and above-freezing temperatures turned sections of the Olympic slope into a mush too dangerous to be used for high-speed skiing. The top of the course isn't all that bad, actually, because it's relatively dry and packed with fresh snow. But farther down, conditions deteriorate, because that's where it's warmer and rain has been falling steadily
