Kranjska Gora giant slalom is canceled

A fan at the canceled race. (GEPA)

There wasn’t much to celebrate at the kickoff of the 50th Golden Fox, which was relocated from Maribor to Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Conditions were simply not favorable for ski racing. There was fog, snow, rain and even a bit of wind. For those reasons the giant slalom race had to be canceled.

“The bad visibility in conjunction with the soft snow outside the race line won’t enable the athletes to have a safe race,” read the statement from the coaches working group during the decision making process.

The organizers did everything possible to get the track ready on time, says FIS. The snow cats and more than 200 volunteers were up on the hill at 3 a.m. local time, but there was nothing more they could do against the adverse conditions. Many expected the decision. Julia Mancuso, for one, decided to forgo the trip in order to better prepare for the Olympics.

“The race line quality would be acceptable if the weather was favourable,” said FIS chief race director Atle Skaardal. “But that is not the case right now, and it’s not going to change today. We also have to take into consideration the second run. For these reasons we have to cancel the race.”

Workers will continue to prepare for Sunday’s slalom race, scheduled to begin at 9:15 a.m. (3:15 EST).