Weather scuppers Åre's first race
Heavy snowfall and strong wind have forced the cancellation of the men's super-G, the opening race of the Alpine World Skiing Championships in Åre, northern Sweden, on Saturday.
American Bode Miller was set to defend his world title against a strong Austrian contingent here, however the 29-year-old will now have to wait until Monday after the International Ski Federation (FIS) re-scheduled the race.
According to one race official the wind speed at the top of the 1230-metre altitude super-G course was 80 kph.
Around 10-15 centimetres of snow also fell overnight, making preparation of the super-G run almost impossible before the 1130 GMT scheduled start.
FIS president Gian Franco Kasper said Friday that bad weather could threaten the race, but indicated that, at worst, it would be "delayed by an hour".
The women's super-G, in which local hope Anja Paerson will defend her crown on Sunday, is likely to be less compromised by the weather.
Temperatures are set to drop ahead of Sunday, allowing for what should be perfect race conditions.
On Monday the first of three training sessions for the men's downhill was set to be held.
That session will now be replaced by the men's super-G.
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American Bode Miller was set to defend his world title against a strong Austrian contingent here, however the 29-year-old will now have to wait until Monday after the International Ski Federation (FIS) re-scheduled the race.
According to one race official the wind speed at the top of the 1230-metre altitude super-G course was 80 kph.
Around 10-15 centimetres of snow also fell overnight, making preparation of the super-G run almost impossible before the 1130 GMT scheduled start.
FIS president Gian Franco Kasper said Friday that bad weather could threaten the race, but indicated that, at worst, it would be "delayed by an hour".
The women's super-G, in which local hope Anja Paerson will defend her crown on Sunday, is likely to be less compromised by the weather.
Temperatures are set to drop ahead of Sunday, allowing for what should be perfect race conditions.
On Monday the first of three training sessions for the men's downhill was set to be held.
That session will now be replaced by the men's super-G.
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