Val Gardena alpine races get green light

The International Ski Federation confirmed Tuesday that World Cup ski races in Val Gardena scheduled for Dec. 15-16 will go ahead — for now — despite a lack of natural snow.
VAL GARDENA, Italy — The International Ski Federation confirmed Tuesday that World Cup ski races in Val Gardena scheduled for Dec. 15-16 will go ahead — for now — despite a lack of natural snow.
    The FIS said in a statement that enough artificial snow for the course and crash zones had been produced for the men’s super G and downhill races.
    Low temperatures are forecast for the course this weekend to aid artificial snow production, but a final decision will made Saturday at the latest.
    A shortage of snow across the Alps has wreaked havoc with the beginning of the ski season. The season opener in Sölden, Austria, was wiped out in October, and men’s and women’s stops in Val d’Isere, France, and St. Moritz, Switzerland, this weekend were canceled.
    One of the races from Val d’Isere, a super combi, will be contested in Reiteralm, Austria, on Sunday.