Alpine Race Is Postponed

SHIGA KOGEN, Japan â€”  The dark storm cloud that hovered over the Olympic Alpine speed events in Hakuba followed the world’s best ski racers to the slalom courses, forcing the postponement of Wednesday’s scheduled men’s giant slalom.

The men’s race was rescheduled for Thursday at Mount Higashidate.

The women’s slalom will run as scheduled Thursday at Mount Yakebitai, nine miles away.

Wednesday marked the sixth day that Alpine racing has been postponed because of weather. In completing three events Monday, organizers actually got back on track, allowing Tuesday’s running of the women’s combined to go as scheduled--an Olympic first for Alpine in Nagano.

But a severe snowstorm Tuesday night in Shiga Kogen left the men’s giant slalom course buried in snow drifts as deep as six feet in some areas.

International Ski Federation spokesman Christian Knauth said 750 workers fought a losing battle in trying to clear more than three feet of fresh snow from the giant slalom course.

“The big problem today was the time for preparing the course was too small,� Knauth said.

According to a NAOC statement, the rescheduling was done to “ensure the greatest possibility of holding these competitions, so that all the competitions can be carried out with the period of the Games.�

Better weather is predicted Thursday, but another storm is expected Friday.