BREAKING: Men’s GS in Soelden Cancelled Due to Snow, Wind

By Published On: October 28th, 2018Comments Off on BREAKING: Men’s GS in Soelden Cancelled Due to Snow, Wind

After hosting a successful start to the 2018-19 women’s World Cup tour despite challenging conditions on Saturday, the Rettenbach Glacier in Soelden, Austria, was met with upwards of 50 centimeters of fresh snow and high winds overnight, forcing the cancellation of the men’s giant slalom for the second year in a row.

Organizers and course crew had been hard at work up on the venue since 2am local time, working to clear the course of snow with the hope of improving conditions throughout the morning. Originally, the schedule was moved back one hour with a first run start time set for 11am CET, but with no sign of the weather improving and increasingly high winds plaguing the glacier, the tough decision was made to call the race by the jury, local organizers, and Austrian Ski Association officials.

According to an official FIS statement, due to last year’s cancellation, FIS rules have been amended to allow for the rescheduling of the opening race to an alternate venue later on in the season. The venue that will take on the rescheduled men’s GS will be announced sometime early next week.

The opening race to the 2018-19 men’s World Cup season will now be the slalom in Levi, Finland, on November 18.

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About the Author: Sean Higgins

A Lake Tahoe native and University of Vermont graduate, Higgins was a member of the Catamounts' 2012 NCAA title winning squad and earned first team All-American honors in 2013. Prior to coming to Ski Racing Media, he coached U14s for the Squaw Valley Ski Team.