Top > Sport > 2006 > December > 2006-12-16

Unusually Warm Weather Disrupts World Cup Ski Races

Global warming is taking its toll on world economy, food supplies and environmental areas. However, the sporting industry is also starting to suffer from unusual weather conditions, making it very difficult to schedule races that typically rely on good snow conditions. In previous years, the weather could almost certainly be expected to provide cold enough conditions at resorts for winter sports to take place. This year, however, several races have had to be called off due to unusually warm weather.

The International Ski Federation (ISF) announced that the Women?s World Cup Alpine Races that was scheduled to take place in Val d?Isere, a French ski resort, this month needed to be called off due to the warm weather that is prevailing in the region. On its official website, the Federation noted that two races ? one downhill and a Super, scheduled for December 16th and 17th, had been cancelled. The Federation is now trying to find alternative locations and new dates and places are to be announced in the coming days.

The men?s races were also out of luck in Val d?Isere. All this weekend?s scheduled races also had to be cancelled, although the International Ski Federation did manage to reschedule one of the races ? the Super-Combined ? to Reiteralm in Austria. Men?s races that have been scheduled to take place in Italy are continuing as usual.