Winter Olympics 2018: Strong winds postpone men's downhill

Pyeongchang, February 11: Strong winds saw the men's downhill postponed at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang on Sunday (February 11).

The event was pushed back to Thursday (February 15) while the men's super-G has been moved to Friday (February 16) in South Korea.

The announcement came just three hours before the men's downhill was scheduled to start.

The event was postponed due to dangerous winds. They also cancelled the downhill training run which was scheduled for Monday (February 12) in South Korea.

"Very strong winds, with gusts up to 72 kilometres per hour, that are expected to continue all day have forced the jury together with POCOG to postpone the event as originally scheduled at Jeongseon Alpine Centre," the International Ski Federation said in a statement.

"A committee comprised of IOC, POCOG, and FIS officials will meet to determine a future date for the Olympic men's downhill."

According to race organisers, the lift that carries teams and officials to the top of the mountain could not be operated.

The weather conditions are not expected to improve for two to three days, which could cause the alpine skiing schedule to shift even further back in the Olympics.

Source: OPTA