ALPINE SKI WORLD CUP. MARIBOR, Slovenia – The organizers, race crews and athletes all gave more than 100 percent toward making the World Cup giant slalom happen in Maribor on Saturday but after 25 racers made it down the slushy, spring-like course, officials had to cancel the race.

Course official are gathered close to the finish area of a women's ski world cup Giant Slalom race in Maribor, Slovenia, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011. The race was canceled after 25 racers because of warm weather causing poor course conditions. Temperatures of around 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit) softened the snow over the past days and the condition of the slope worsened during the race. (AP Photo/Elvis Piazzi)

“It was not realistic to bring 50 racers more down. We had no choice. The course was not holding up,” said FIS Race Director Atle Skaardal. “We had the coaches working group with us and we all agreed to stop the race. There was some good development on the course this morning but the sun came out and it warmed up dramatically. The snow started to break and after 25 racers we decided this is not going to be possible with 50 more racers at the top.”

When the sun came out, the temperature climbed to above 12 degrees Celsius and latter racers who actually got a run on the course said the snow was totally reminiscent of a race in April.

“It’s like a FIS spring race,” said Lara Gut, who was wearing bib No. 18 and finished 18th before the race was canceled. “They’re doing a really good job trying to fix the course but it’s so warm and it’s not that fun when the results are the same as the bib numbers.”

Austria's Kathrin Zettel speeds down the course during a women's ski world cup Giant Slalom race in Maribor, Slovenia, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011. The race was canceled after 25 racers because of warm weather causing poor course conditions. Temperatures of around 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit) softened the snow over the past days and the condition of the slope worsened during the race. (AP Photo/Elvis Piazzi)

Indeed, before the race was canceled, the first racer down the course, Viktoria Rebensburg, was leading with a time of 1 minute, 11.35 seconds and with a couple of narrow exceptions, all racers in the top 10 were the next nine racers. In bib No. 2, local favorite Tina Maze was second, 0.07 seconds back, Maria Riesch (bib No. 6) was third, 0.21 seconds back, Tessa Worley in bib No. 4 was fourth, Kathrin Zettel fifth in bib No. 5, Maria Pietilae-Holmner sixth in bib No. 10, Kathrin Hoelzl seventh in bib No. 3, Federica Brignone eighth in bib No. 12, Tanja Poutiainen ninth in bib 7 and Anja Paerson 10th in bib 11.

Slovenia's Tina Maze speeds down the course during a women's ski world cup Giant Slalom race in Maribor, Slovenia, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011. The race was canceled after 25 racers because of warm weather causing poor course conditions. Temperatures of around 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit) softened the snow over the past days and the condition of the slope worsened during the race. (AP Photo/Elvis Piazzi)

“You just come into this deep, soft track at the top,” Paerson said. “The entrance to one gate is a hole with sugar in it, then the next gate is OK but the exit is a hole with sugar. You really need to take the higher line. What is the right approach to this race? The right approach is to have start No. 1. But I think it was a good call to race.”

France's Tessa Worley speeds down the course during a women's ski world cup Giant Slalom race in Maribor, Slovenia, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011. The race was canceled after 25 racers because of warm weather causing poor course conditions. Temperatures of around 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit) softened the snow over the past days and the condition of the slope worsened during the race. (AP Photo/Elvis Piazzi)

In addition to the danger posed by the inconsistency of course conditions, officials knew if they had continued the race, athletes with much higher bib numbers would simply have no chance.

“It’s about safety and fairness,” Skaardal said. “It was starting to not be possible to ski. With 50 more racers at the start, you can just imagine what the course would look like after another half an hour, also in terms of the second run.”

A worker removes snow during the cancellation of the women's Alpine skiing World cup giant slalom in Maribor January 15, 2011 (REUTERS/Srdjan Zivulovic)

As for Sunday’s slalom, after Saturday’s GS was canceled the gates were removed and officials began working immediately on treating the course. Skaardal said they would work until tomorrow morning to do everything possible to hold the race but the lack of structure in the snow would pose a huge challenge.

“We will use some water and chemicals and see if we can get some reaction but it’s difficult,” he said. “It will be very tough. We will try everything but it’s impossible to guarantee anything.”

By Shauna Farnell
FISalpine.com
Saturday 15 January 2011