After manmade snow saved the Olympics, the natural stuff delays it
Is it just me or does anyone else think this is funny?
And what of those two idiots who didn't bring a jacket? And they go to college?
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After manmade snow saved the Olympics, the natural stuff delays it
SAUZE d'OULX, Italy (AP) -- Manmade snow allowed the Turin Olympics to go ahead as scheduled last week, when bright sun, blue skies and brown bare spots defined the Alpine scenery here.
So it was only fitting that when some of the real thing finally fell from the skies Sunday, the Olympics ground to a halt.
With nearly a foot of snow blanketing the mountain venues, Olympic transport slowed to a crawl and spectators waited in vain for events to begin.
The storm also brought the first snow of the games to Turin. Snow began falling shortly after noon and continued into the evening, leaving an accumulation of several inches and making travel treacherous. Fireworks at the nightly medals ceremony exploded amid a white curtain of flakes.
Rain and snow showers were expected Monday.
Josh Knapp and Laura Stoltgi, American students studying abroad, traveled to Sauze d'Oulx by train from Salzburg, Austria, hoping to see Sunday night's scheduled preliminaries in the women's aerials.
They brought an American flag with them, but ended up needing it more for warmth than patriotic reasons as they huddled under it through a two-hour delay, snow piling on their shoulders and hooded heads.
Then they learned the preliminaries had been postponed until Tuesday.
"We came unprepared for this weather. You don't get anything like this in Texas, I tell you," said a shivering Knapp, who attends Hardin-Simmons College in Abilene. "We didn't bring any waterproof clothes, but we're going to stick it out and hope the Olympics resume."
Those who stuck around until the aerials were called off also had a hard time leaving the venue. The snow snarled traffic along the twisting mountain road that leads to the venue, slowing it to a crawl.
Organizers chose to keep most buses stationed at a depot in the town of Oulx on the valley floor until the road could be cleared, forcing spectators, workers and others to wait up to an hour or more to get out.
"We have many problems with spectators because there are a lot of them and the streets are so full of buses and cars, and the snow creates some problems," said Giovanni Contini, who works for spectator services at the freestyle skiing complex.
More than a foot of snow has fallen on the Italian Alps over the last three days and it was expected to continue intermittently over the next few days, said Gianni Poncet, the Turin Games' competition manager for snow-sport venues.
The snow also played havoc with the Alpine skiing schedule, postponing the women's super-G at San Sicario until Monday. On Saturday, weather delayed the men's super-G for several hours.
"I am so sorry for this problem, but it's also good because we have been awaiting the snow and now it's here," Contini said.
After watching bobsledding in the snow Sunday at Cesana, Irish fan Michelle Waterson expected a slow trip from Sestriere to Pragelato. She hoped to eventually reach the curling venue at Pinerolo for Monday's action.
"We're choosing an indoor sport for tomorrow," Waterson said.
Updated on Sunday, Feb 19, 2006 5:06 pm EST
And what of those two idiots who didn't bring a jacket? And they go to college?
****************
After manmade snow saved the Olympics, the natural stuff delays it
SAUZE d'OULX, Italy (AP) -- Manmade snow allowed the Turin Olympics to go ahead as scheduled last week, when bright sun, blue skies and brown bare spots defined the Alpine scenery here.
So it was only fitting that when some of the real thing finally fell from the skies Sunday, the Olympics ground to a halt.
With nearly a foot of snow blanketing the mountain venues, Olympic transport slowed to a crawl and spectators waited in vain for events to begin.
The storm also brought the first snow of the games to Turin. Snow began falling shortly after noon and continued into the evening, leaving an accumulation of several inches and making travel treacherous. Fireworks at the nightly medals ceremony exploded amid a white curtain of flakes.
Rain and snow showers were expected Monday.
Josh Knapp and Laura Stoltgi, American students studying abroad, traveled to Sauze d'Oulx by train from Salzburg, Austria, hoping to see Sunday night's scheduled preliminaries in the women's aerials.
They brought an American flag with them, but ended up needing it more for warmth than patriotic reasons as they huddled under it through a two-hour delay, snow piling on their shoulders and hooded heads.
Then they learned the preliminaries had been postponed until Tuesday.
"We came unprepared for this weather. You don't get anything like this in Texas, I tell you," said a shivering Knapp, who attends Hardin-Simmons College in Abilene. "We didn't bring any waterproof clothes, but we're going to stick it out and hope the Olympics resume."
Those who stuck around until the aerials were called off also had a hard time leaving the venue. The snow snarled traffic along the twisting mountain road that leads to the venue, slowing it to a crawl.
Organizers chose to keep most buses stationed at a depot in the town of Oulx on the valley floor until the road could be cleared, forcing spectators, workers and others to wait up to an hour or more to get out.
"We have many problems with spectators because there are a lot of them and the streets are so full of buses and cars, and the snow creates some problems," said Giovanni Contini, who works for spectator services at the freestyle skiing complex.
More than a foot of snow has fallen on the Italian Alps over the last three days and it was expected to continue intermittently over the next few days, said Gianni Poncet, the Turin Games' competition manager for snow-sport venues.
The snow also played havoc with the Alpine skiing schedule, postponing the women's super-G at San Sicario until Monday. On Saturday, weather delayed the men's super-G for several hours.
"I am so sorry for this problem, but it's also good because we have been awaiting the snow and now it's here," Contini said.
After watching bobsledding in the snow Sunday at Cesana, Irish fan Michelle Waterson expected a slow trip from Sestriere to Pragelato. She hoped to eventually reach the curling venue at Pinerolo for Monday's action.
"We're choosing an indoor sport for tomorrow," Waterson said.
Updated on Sunday, Feb 19, 2006 5:06 pm EST