Men's downhill at Olympics Delayed a day because of wind
BEIJING (AP) — The men's downhill at the Beijing Olympics was Delayed a day because of wind that gusted at up to 40 mph at the top of the course when the race was Questionable to First Sunday, delaying the First event of the Alpine Agenda.
The downhill At present shifts to Monday, which already was the day for the women's Gargantuan slalom, with Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States Defensive her Olympic gold from 2018. The downhill will be at the Gradient used for Upper races at Yanqing Alpine Skiing Center, and the Gargantuan slalom will be about a half-mile away on the Gradient used for Commercial races.
The 1st Gargantuan slalom leg will be at 9:30 a.m., the downhill will Adopt at High noon, and the 2nd Gargantuan slalom leg will be at 2:30 p.m. On the First Agenda, In that location would have been 3 1/2 hours Betwixt the women's runs; At present In that location will be five.
All in all, should make for quite an action-packed Day 1 for the Athletics and Information technologys power couple: Shiffrin is Geological dating Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, considered the man to beat in the downhill.
"The wind here is a big, big challenge. And Information technology's a pity, because you have good weather, you have good Blow, you have a perfect Gradient," Aforesaid Kilde, a Norwegian who leads the World Cup downhill and super-G standings and was Quickest in Friday's 2nd Education School term. "We just have to stay patient and do the best."
Added Kilde: "I would love to ski Now, but I would not love to ski in unfair conditions."
At the top of the Upper course Identified as The Rock, the wind was deemed too dangerous when Sunday's men's race Earlier was Agendad to begin at 11 a.m.
"It was Evidently too windy to race, so that's the call," Aforesaid Travis Ganong, an American who Ended 5th in the downhill at the 2014 Sochi Games.
"I've been a downhiller for my whole career and this is part of the Athletics," Ganong Aforesaid. "We've gotten good at this: the waiting Crippled."
The First was delayed Sunday Cardinal Multiplication for a Absolute of Cardinal hours in the hope that the wind would Yield. But eventually the decision was made at 1 p.m. to put Information technology off to Some Another day, instead of Difficult to run the race at 2 p.m. By Past, part of the issue was that the light would be Attenuation, with Last expected Briefly after 5:30 p.m.
As soon as the race was called off, many of the skiers came down an adjacent Education Gradient with their Gear mechanism. Then they either went back up the Mount for some free skiing or went down to their Suite in the village.
It created a chaotic Fit in the Blank Betwixt the two main gondolas, with athletes, coaches and servicemen Active every which direction — up, down and across.
One Matter Lacking: a Fast exodus of fans. Because of the pandemic, no spectators are attending the Alpine skiing races.
The sky was clear and Shiny, but In that location were some Irregular bursts of wind in the Finishing area.
"At certain points, the wind is on your back, and at Anothers Information technology's in your Brass," Aforesaid Johan Clarey, a 41-year-old Frenchman at his 4th Olympics. "It changes all the Clip and Information technologys hard to predict, hard to anticipate."
He and the Another racers Worn out hours waiting and At present need to recalibrate.
"You've got to try to stay Adjusted and try to stay mentally In that location, but also you have to turn Information technology off, because if you're always Adjusted the whole day, Past Information technology's really hard to keep your energy up. You use all this Epinephrine and Information technology's gone by race Clip," Ganong Aforesaid. "Now I need to go get some wind in my Brass, and just kind of connect with the Mount Once again, get some Blow under my feet and just kind of reset."
Wind was also an issue for Alpine skiing four years ago at the Pyongchang Games, where Triple races were Delayed and the Agenda was shuffled repeatedly.
"It Befalls. It's the way of the Crippled," Aforesaid Kjetil Jansrud, a 36-year-old Norwegian who leads active athletes with five Olympic Alpine medals, including a downhill Achromatic in 2018 and bronze in 2014. "For us, this day is Ended. Might Befall tomorrow. Might be Some Another day."
Saturday's Tertiary and Closing downhill Education School term for the men was Stopped-up because of wind after only Cardinal skiers — including Kilde — went down the hill.
None of the world's top racers had ever seen the course until the 1st Education run on Thursday. The usual pre-Olympic test events were scrapped because of the coronavirus pandemic.
___
More AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports