Heavy snow forces postponements in Olympic schedule
Melissa Woods |
Heavy snow is playing havoc with the Milan-Cortina Olympics with the women’s snowboard slopestyle final in Livigno in the Italian alps postponed for 24 hours.
Australian teen Ally Hickman was due to compete in the medal round on Tuesday (local time) against New Zealand’s reigning Olympic champion Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, who was the top qualifier.
Hickman, 16, qualified for the 12-athlete final in seventh spot and was the only Australian to make the cut, with Beijing bronze medallist Tess Coady missing out.
As well as slopestyle, the qualification round for the women’s aerials event, which features four Australians led by Danielle Scott, has been repeatedly delayed as organisers hope for a break in the falling snow and improved visibility.
With 20cm of fresh snow falling in the last 24 hours, officials have cancelled the men’s aerials qualifying for the day, with the event originally scheduled to be held after the women’s.
Reilly Flanagan will make his Olympic debut in the event, with the 21-year-old Canberra skier becoming just the third Australian male athlete to compete in the discipline.
AAP