Women’s downhill cancelled due to strong winds
Posted February 25, 2012 10:44 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BANSKO, Bulgaria — A women’s World Cup downhill was cancelled because of strong winds blowing across the Banderitsa course on Saturday.
The decision to scrub the penultimate women’s downhill of the season was made after the original start time was postponed three times due to winds gusting up to 120 kph (80 mph.)
American team head coach Axel Hoedlmoser said the decision was justified.
“Sometime gusts came from behind, sometime there was headwind, so it for sure wouldn’t be fair and not safe either,” he said.
The FIS said there was no possibility of rescheduling the race. It was the last downhill of the season on the women’s tour, meaning that the current top 25 in the standings will go on to compete in the World Cup finals in Schladming, Austria next month.
“It is financially impossible to reschedule the race for Monday,” said FIS women’s race director Atle Skaardal. “Also, according to travel logistics and the weather forecast, it’s not possible.”
In both training sessions on Thursday and Friday, Germany’s Maria Hoefl-Riesch led overall World Cup leader Lindsey Vonn of the United States.
The super-G is still scheduled to be held Sunday, when the wind is expected to die down.
After five races and two more to go, Vonn leads the super-G standings with 313 points. Austria’s Anna Fenninger is in second place, just 10 points behind. Julia Mancuso of the United States is third with 269 points.
