World Cup downhill races canceled due to weather

Mother Nature did not want any World Cup racing to happen on Saturday as the men’s and women’s downhill races were canceled due to bad weather. The men had been scheduled to race at Wengen, Switzerland, while the ladies were in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria.

On the women’s side, the decision has been made by FIS officials and the organizing committee to attempt to hold a training run and race on Sunday, eliminating the scheduled alpine combined. The ladies will participate in the training run starting at 9:30 am CET and the race will begin shortly after at 12:15 pm CET.

In Wengen, after nearly a half meter of snow covered the course, there was no chance to clear the track with the snow forecast of continued heavy precipitation throughout the day. The schedule has not changed and racing will continue with a slalom race on Sunday. In a team captain’s meeting on Friday, men’s Race Director Markus Waldner revealed that they are looking for a replacement venue for the downhill, specifically North American resorts including Beaver Creek. If a replacement race were to be held, it would be done the week before World Cup finals in Aspen, Colo.