Decision on Kitzbühel expected Thursday

The International Ski Federation will wait until Thursday to decide if next week's World Cup races in Kitzbühel, Austria, can go ahead, the Eurosport news agency is reporting.  

THE INTERNATIONAL SKI FEDERATION will wait until Thursday to decide if next week's World Cup races in Kitzbühel, Austria, can go ahead, the Eurosport news agency is reporting.   
    At a press conference in Kitzbühel on Tuesday, FIS inspector Sepp Messner said he was "almost 100 percent certain" the resort would be able to stage the races.
    The Kitzbühel weekend, comprising the classic Streif downhill, a slalom and a super-G, is under threat because of a lack of snow and continuing warm weather that have already caused several adjustments to this season's World Cup calendar.
    Local organizers in the Austrian resort have been transporting snow from higher-lying regions in an effort to salvage the Jan. 26-28 races.
    They also intend to change the traditional route of the downhill course because of the snow shortage.
    The FIS had hoped to announce on Tuesday if the races would go ahead or be transferred to another location, with Switzerland's St Moritz the most likely candidate.
    Warm temperatures across Europe have caused the cancellation or relocation of several World Cup events.
    Last weekend, the schedule in Wengen and Altenmarkt had to be altered because of problems with the weather while two World Cup races planned for the French resort of Chamonix, France, on Jan. 20-21 have been moved to Val d'Isere due to persistent rain and a lack of snow.