Third day of competition cancelled at Veysonnaz World Cup

High winds continued in Veysonnaz, Switzerland, leading to the cancellation of the competition for a second successive day on 17 January at the fourth World Para Alpine Skiing World Cup. Slalom races were due to start today.

Race Director Ali Bombardier said: “The wind at 7:30am was very strong and the gusts were more than 80km an hour, meaning the gondola was not able to operate. The forecast is for increasing winds today and dropping tonight.

“There is also 20cm of fresh snow that would need to be removed - slipped or shoveled off the course to make it safe. Visibility due to the combination of wind and snow was low and another factor in the decision to cancel.

“All decisions are based on the safety for the athletes and looking to provide a fair playing field. Neither could be provided today.

“We are planning to race the slalom events tomorrow (18 January), we will have a team captain’s meeting at 5pm to prepare for the race. The decision will be made tomorrow morning.”

The World Cup in Veysonnaz opened with a dramatic day of giant slalom races on 15 January, in which Japan’s Taki Morii and Norway’s Jesper Pedersen finished tied for gold in the men’s sitting category, but there has been no further action since then.

Live streaming, highlights and complete live results are available on a dedicated World Para Alpine Skiing World Cup website.

Broadcasters and news agencies interested in the 2018 World Para Alpine Skiing World Cup footage and interviews can contact Sascha Beck.