Wind, ice and cold are making this Olympics too wintry

The Winter Olympics are supposed to be cold, of course. Just maybe not THIS cold.

Wind and ice pellets left Olympic snowboarders simply trying to stay upright in conditions that many felt were unfit for competition, the best ski jumpers on the planet dealing with swirling gusts and biathletes aiming to shoot straight.

All around the games, athletes and fans are dealing with conditions that have tested even the most seasoned winter sports veterans.

Low temperatures have hovered in the single digits, dipping below zero with unforgiving gusts whipping at 45 mph (70 kph) making it feel much colder. Organisers have shuffled schedules, and shivering spectators left events early.

Many of the snowboarders didn’t think they should have been out there.

“You’re going up the chairlift and you see these little tornadoes,” said Czech snowboarder Sarka Pancohova, who finished 16th, “and you’re like, ‘What is this?’” President Thomas Bach believes the IOC has done its part in getting North Korea and South Korea together at the Pyeongchang Olympics.

The ball’s now in the court of the divided nation.

“Now it’s for politics to take over,” Bach said during a visit to The Associated Press office at the Olympics. “You know sport cannot create peace. We cannot lead their political negotiations. We have sent this message - this dialogue - that negotiations can lead