Are: Wind, snow could impact men's super G

The opening race of the Alpine World Championships could be affected by snow and strong winds, organizers said Friday.
ARE, Sweden — The opening race of the Alpine World Championships could be affected by snow and strong winds, organizers said Friday.
    Heavy snowfall was expected overnight with winds picking up Saturday morning and likely to disrupt the 1130 GMT start of the men’s super G.
    “It seems quite difficult for tomorrow,” said race director Guenter Hujara. The event could be moved to Monday, Hujara said.
    The Swedish ski resort is one of the few in Europe that has received plenty of snow this winter. But Friday brought warm temperatures and rain to Are, and with strong winds predicted there are fears that the weather may still be a factor during the Feb. 3-18 championships.
    “We don’t worry at all,” International Ski Federation President Gian Franco Kasper said earlier Friday. “There is no reason to panic or start thinking about rescheduling. Rain or no rain, the courses won’t be touched. They’re more than hard, the’re more than well-prepared.”
    Kasper described Are as often having “four seasons in one day,” meaning troublesome winds or heavy snow are usually followed by better conditions.
    “If we have bad weather or there is a lot of wind, in an hour or two the thing is over and another season starts,” Kasper said. “So for us, it’s not too bad, because rescheduling is very easy with this four-seasons system.”
    Lasse Lindqvist, who heads the organizing committee, is confident the Are slopes will hold up for Are’s first World Championships since 1954 — with some help from the weather.
    “We only get one chance, so I know we need to have some good luck with the representatives in heaven,” Lindqvist said.
    The women’s super G starts 1130 GMT on Sunday.

— The Associated Press