The freezing cold is one thing, but the winds in Pyeongchang are throwing some of the athletes at the 2018 Winter Olympics for a loop. There have been discussions about the safety of the athletes as the wind rages 70 km/hr. This is added on top of the -20 degrees C weather.
Events have been cancelled and postponed, such as the women’s giant slalom which was moved to Thursday with the men’s start. The snowboarding competition was severely affected: most were unable to complete a clean run due to the wind. All riders fell at some point in the competition.
For Spencer O’Brien of Courtenay, it was a rough day as the wind prevented her from even completing her final run. It has been argued that these athletes should have gotten a chance to re-do the runs that were halted beyond their control.
The International Ski Federation responded to athlete’s complaints about the danger of the wind, stating that “would never stage a competition” if it was unsafe for the athletes due to conditions.
