Juggling of Alpine Events Continues, but Organizers Remain Confident

Another day, another deluge, another round of delays.

It wasn’t much, but there actually was an Olympic ski race held here Tuesday, organizers cramming in two runs of the combined slalom in a driving snowstorm.

However, the mood was hardly upbeat.

Poor weather, which continues to plague the Alpine events, forced the postponement of the women’s super-giant slalom, featuring the Olympic super-G debut of American Picabo Street.

The super-G has been rescheduled for Wednesday at 1 p.m. (9 p.m. Tuesday night on the West Coast).

The men’s downhill, which was postponed Sunday and moved to Wednesday, has now been rescheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m.

The men’s combined downhill will also be raced Thursday afternoon, meaning athletes competing in both events will have to race consecutive downhills.

More than two feet of snow has fallen on the Hakuba men’s and women’s Olympic courses since the games began, wreaking havoc on organizers and ski technicians.

“At the IOC we are confident,” IOC spokeswoman Michele Verdier said. “There is nothing abnormal or unusual. The Winter Games are held on snow and ice. We’re confident that all the program will be held. We still have many days to go before the competitions are to end.”