Heavy snowfall in Cortina has led to the cancellation of the opening women’s downhill training session for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Approximately 20 centimeters of snow have fallen on the Olympia delle Tofane course, with more snow expected overnight. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) chief race director, Peter Gerdol, stated that due to the ongoing heavy snowfall and unfavorable weather forecast, it was not feasible to proceed with the training session as planned for Thursday.
Meteorologist Thierry Robert-Luciani, also with FIS, mentioned that intense snowfall was expected to continue through the night, with the snowfall anticipated to cease by midday the following day. The first training session, initially scheduled for Thursday, was the beginning of a series of three training sessions planned before the downhill race on Sunday. According to regulations, at least one training session must be completed before the race can take place.
New Zealand’s Alice Robinson, set to participate in the downhill training runs along with the super-G and giant slalom events, expressed confidence that the organizers would ensure optimal conditions for the race day despite the new snowfall. The cancellation of Thursday’s training run means that Lindsey Vonn, the 2010 downhill Olympic champion and a top contender for Sunday’s race, will have to wait another day to evaluate her left knee following a recent ACL injury.
Despite her injury, Vonn, who has maintained top-three finishes in all five downhill World Cup events this season, remains determined to compete in the upcoming race. She plans to wear a knee brace for added support during the Olympic downhill event.
