Organisers back their decision

ANGRY snowboarders said the “dangerous” women’s slopestyle final at the Pyeongchang Olympics should have been cancelled after vicious winds caused a string of crashes yesterday.

Nearly all the athletes, including American winner Jamie Anderson, tumbled at some point at the frigid Phoenix Park, where strong winds forced Sunday’s qualifiers to be scrapped and also delayed the final for more than an hour yesterday.

It was the latest event at the Games to be disrupted by the swirling wind, with the prestigious men’s downhill skiing moved to Thursday.

None of the snowboarders suffered major injury, but the International Olympic Committee and International Ski Federation (FIS) faced questions as to why the final was not shelved. Enni Rukajarvi mastered the conditions better than most and took bronze behind defending champion Anderson and Laurie Blouin of Canada. The Finn said her achievement had been overshadowed and felt it was not the right decision to hold the event.

The FIS admitted conditions were “challenging” but defended the decision to go ahead with the event, saying the safety of the athletes was their top priority. “FIS always aims for the athletes to be able to stage their best performances, which some athletes have expressed was not the case today. The nature of outdoor sports requires adapting to elements.” —