The second women’s downhill of the Alpine Ski World Cup which was to take place on Sunday in Zermatt-Cervinia was canceled due to wind, like the first race scheduled the day before, announced the International Ski Federation (FIS). The organizers initially postponed the start of the race from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., but the conditions did not improve. “Due to strong gusts of wind, the jury and the organization decided to cancel today’s descent,” announced an FIS spokesperson late in the morning. This is the 4th cancellation at the start of the season of this unprecedented Italian-Swiss stage, announced with great fanfare at the start of 2022 but which has since not been able to take place. This is getting really ridiculous!
Last year, it was the lack of snow that got the better of all the races on the program. This year, it was the wind that forced the organizers to cancel the men’s races last weekend and the two women’s downhills scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. Like the day before, the organizers waited until the last moment on Sunday to make their decision, first postponing the start several times before deciding to cancel, the wind endangering the safety of the skiers.
In two years, eight races in as many attempts had to be canceled in Zermatt-Cervinia. The inauguration of the “Gran Becca”, supposed to open the speed season, comes up against the realities of a glacier that is difficult to tame at this time of the year and at more than 3,500 meters above sea level. The cross-border race, a first in the World Cup, was also the subject of controversy concerning the considerable logistical means to prepare the track, with helicopters and excavators on the glacier, going against environmental concerns.
