World Cup GS Race Canceled: Snow Shortage Ends Regular Season Finale in Kranjska Gora

Due to a lack of snow on the Podkoren Race slope in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, organizers had to call off the final regular season Men’s World Cup GS race scheduled for Saturday, March 9th. Recent high temperatures caused a considerable reduction in the snowpack. With daytime temperatures soaring into the 60s, the venue, once ready to host the World Cup GS, could now only accommodate a slalom event requiring less width and length.

The FIS and the Kranjska Gora race crew consolidated the remaining snow to create a suitable slalom slope. Consequently, the Kranjska Gora slalom, originally scheduled for Sunday, March 10th, will now take place on Saturday, March 9th, the initial date of the GS race.

Consequences of the cancelation

This cancellation also dashes Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt’s hopes of tying Sweden’s Ingemar Stenmark’s record of 14 consecutive World Cup victories in a single discipline this season. Odermatt, currently at 12 wins, would need the GS victory at the Saalbach finals to reach 13, leaving him to wait until next season’s first GS for a shot at tying the iconic record set by Stenmark.

The top 25 from the regular season have now secured their invitations to the finals. However, this outcome marks the end of the road for Stifel US Ski Team’s Tommy Ford, who was hoping to qualify for his seventh career GS finals, and Alpine Canada Alpin’s Erik Read, who missed out on his chance for a fifth consecutive World Cup GS final.

On a brighter note, one North American athlete has had a remarkable season, including his first podium finish. Stifel US Ski Team’s River Radamus concludes the regular season ranked 9th overall, securing his invitation to Saalbach for his third consecutive finals appearance.

In conclusion, the cancellation of the final GS race in Kranjska Gora’s men’s regular World Cup season was due to a significant loss of snow caused by warm weather in recent days. The men’s GS World Cup finals are scheduled to be contested on March 16th in Saalbach, Austria.