Too much weather

Opening events delayed by high winds, blowing snow

Heavy snowfall cancelled Friday's women's downhill training run and men's downhill training run. AP

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Winter weather got the best of the Winter Olympics on Friday.

Ski jump qualifying on the 90-meter hill, the first competition of the Winter Games, was delayed for at least three hours because of high winds and blowing snow at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City.

Practice for the men's downhill, the premier event of alpine skiing, was canceled, with women's downhill training delayed. Also delayed were practice runs for men's singles luge.

A snowstorm moved into Utah the morning of the opening ceremony, bringing with it strong winds and making visibility difficult at mountain venues.

"It's almost a whiteout situation," Utah Olympic Park press marshall Dee Corum said. "It's not snowing right now, but it's blowing hard and very fast. The front is coming from the north, which is absolutely the worst position to come from if you're a jumper."

Venue managers announced that the ski jumping competition, originally scheduled to start at 9 a.m., would be pushed back until 2 p.m. EST.

The Utah Olympic Park is 28 miles east of downtown Salt Lake City.

At Snowbasin, 44 miles north of Salt Lake City, training for the men's downhill was canceled. Race jurors planned to meet later Friday to determine whether the women's downhill training run, scheduled for midmorning, also would also be canceled.

 

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