By Rob Gloster
Associated Press
SNOWBASIN, Utah – Wind of 20 mph forced the postponement of the women’s downhill today, delaying Picabo Street’s quest to become the first American woman to win three Olympic skiing medals.
The race was expected to be held Tuesday, originally an off day in the Alpine ski events schedule. An official announcement was scheduled for this evening.
It was fairly calm at the bottom of the course, where about 25,000 spectators waited patiently in subfreezing temperatures. But at the top of the course, 9,016 feet up Mount Ogden, the gusty winds would have been at the racers’ backs, which could have made it dangerous for skiers already traveling at about 75 mph.
“I’m not too disappointed, it happens in skiing,” said Street, who won the gold medal in the super giant slalom at the 1998 Nagano Games and the silver in the downhill at Lillehammer four years earlier.
“I just hope the fans won’t be too disappointed,” she said. “I know how hard it is to get up here, go through all that. I hope they come back.”
Such delays are nothing new for Alpine skiers. The 1998 Nagano Olympics were tormented by weather woes, including a two-day delay in the women’s downhill.
The race originally was scheduled to start at noon EST, but was delayed an hour. Race officials delayed the start another hour, but called it off when the winds did not subside.
Copyright ©2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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