ALPINE SKI. KITZBUHEL, Austria -- The men's super G was canceled by the jury here due to rain fall overnight and wet snow flakes the size of golf balls beginning to fall early this morning.

Hahnenkamm Super-G race cancelled, Photo by: Rolex / Stephan Cooper

"It's a very simple update, all you have to do is go up the window and it will explain everything," said FIS Chief of Race Gunter Hujara, trying to make light of the situation.

Gunter said heavy rain throughout the night and heavy snowfall this morning made the decision clear. “The snow is untouchable right now, not skiable, and that's the reason we had to cancel the race,” he said.

Officials said there were more than 500 course crew members prepared to get to work on the course, but the snow is still too soft. Workers will have to wait as there is no use in removing snow that is still coming down.

The forecast for today is widespread snowfall throughout the day with a maximum temperature of -1 degrees celsius and minimum of -7. The outlook for Saturday is more snow, heaviest coming down around noon. The downhill is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.

Hujara and crew said they will do their best to pull off the races, but it all depends on weather. Logistically there is no way to move the canceled event or events to Monday.

“There is no chance for Monday, there is no makeup day,” Hujara said. “We will do everything for tomorrow that we can. We will go hour by hour.”

The officials are hopeful there will be a window in weather tomorrow to hold the downhill. The last time the races got canceled in Kitzbuhel was in 2007 when neither super G nor downhill was held due to lack of snow and warm temperatures. In 2005, the downhill wasn't held because of snow/rain and safety concerns.

More information will be revealed this evening at the captain's meeting.

By Vanessa Pierce
FISalpine.com
Friday 20 January 2012

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