High winds have led Pyeongchang Olympic officials to postpone the men’s downhill skiing event planned for Sunday.
Winds were gusting to 72 kph (45 mph) at the Jeongseon Alpine Center. The event will now be held Thursday. The men’s super-G and other speed racing events will be moved back a day, to Friday, the International Ski Federation (FIS) said.
Sasha Rearick, the U.S. men’s alpine head coach, said, “We kind of expected this downhill to be postponed due to wind, but at the same time the guys were charged up and ready to go. With this being an outdoor sport, it is not abnormal.”
On Saturday, Norway’s Marit Bjoergen entered the history books at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. She became the most decorated female winter Olympian of all time when she won a silver medal in the 15K skiathlon. It was her 11th medal — six gold, four silver and a bronze.
Charlotte Kalla of Sweden won this year’s first gold medal when she took top honors in the skiathlon. She won the race by more than 7 seconds, breaking away from the pack in the final two kilometers to avenge her loss to Bjoergen in the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Krista Parmakoski of Finland won the bronze. U.S. skier Jessie Diggens finished fifth, the best cross-country finish ever by an American woman.
Medals will also be awarded Sunday in the women’s giant slalom, men’s 10K sprint biathlon, men’s skiathlon, team figure skating, women’s freestyle skiing, men’s luge, men’s and women’s snowboarding, and men’s speedskating.
The winter games run through February 25.
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