Downhill Is Wiped Out

An overnight snowstorm forced the cancellation of Friday’s World Cup downhill race on the Olympic course at Snowbasin.

The race was a make-up for a downhill postponed Jan. 13 at Wengen, Switzerland.

Race organizers are hoping to complete the regularly-scheduled downhill today and a super-giant slalom race Sunday.

“Today’s race is definitely less important than tomorrow’s race,” U.S. Ski Team media coordinator Scott Flanders said of the cancellation.

American and international skiers are eager to race the Bernhard Russi-designed Olympic course before next year’s 2002 Salt Lake Games.

The Olympic downhill is scheduled for Feb. 10, 2002, with the super-G on Feb.16.

There are no scheduled World Cup races on the hill before then.

“This is super important,” Flanders said of the weekend races, “because this is the Olympic hill. The guys didn’t come over from Europe to get two training runs in.”

Friday’s downhill might be added to next week’s World Cup stop at Kvitfjell, Norway. The World Cup race season ends March 3-4 with the World Cup finals at Are, Sweden.

According to Snowbasin area weather forecasts, the storm is supposed to linger through mid-day with a risk of morning fog and low visibility, with some sunshine expected in the afternoon.