Kenyans wait longer to cheer on skier Simader

Kenya‘s flagbearer Sabrina Simader leads the delegation parade during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Stadium on February 9, 2018. / AFP PHOTO

Wind disrupts competition as organisers push event to Thursday.

Icy winds tore through the mountains at the Pyeongchang Olympics on Sunday, wreaking havoc at a snowboard final that forced postponement of the Alpine skiing for a second successive day, and raising questions about athlete safety.

Kenyans will now have to wait a little longer before cheering their own, Sabrina Wanjiku Simader, in the women Alpine Skiing.

Simader, 19, has lived in Austria since the age of three and has an Austrian father, but opted to take the Kenyan route to participating in the Pyeongchang Games.

Farcical conditions

Competitors, officials and a few brave fans made their way around the Olympic venues wrapped in layers of scarves, hats and thick coats as the biting wind added a significant chill factor to temperatures already down around minus 20 degrees Celsius.

At the Yongpyong resort, winds in excess of 70 kilometres per hour prevented the Alpine skiing competition from getting underway for the second day in a row with the women’s giant slalom joining the men’s downhill in being moved to Thursday.

The gusts were not as strong at the Phoenix Snow Park, but caused farcical conditions for the women’s slopestyle final with snowboarders who had spent four years perfecting their routines blown off the hill by crosswinds.

Qualification was cancelled entirely on Sunday due to the weather, but the final got underway after an hour’s delay on Monday only for 20 of the 25 competitors to fall in the opening run.

American Jamie Anderson laid down the best first run to retain the title she won in Sochi four years ago but pre-event favourite Anna Gasser, who failed to land either of her runs, said the final should have been postponed.

“We tried to speak to officials but the Olympics put us under pressure to do it today,” the Austrian told reporters.

“They said we had to do it today.”

Anderson’s compatriot Hailey Langland, who fell on the first run but put in a solid second effort to finish sixth, disagreed.

“We are snowboarders and should be able to deal with it,” said the 17-year-old. “The girls on the podium showed that and that is why they are up there.” The International Ski Federation (FIS) said that although the conditions made the competition challenging, “the nature of outdoor sports also requires adapting to the elements”.

“The first priority for FIS is the safety of the athletes and FIS would never stage a competition if this could not be assured,” it said in a statement.

“The FIS Jury monitored the weather conditions closely throughout the day, including consulting with the coaches, and considered it was within the boundaries to stage the competition safely.”

Alpine skiing race directors have had contingency plans in place for several days after receiving the forecasts of the high winds and yesterday appeared resigned to two more days of battling the elements.