Numerous events have already been postponed at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games due to extreme wind conditions, but the women’s slopestyle went on as scheduled on Monday despite conditions many felt were dangerous. American Jamie Anderson won her second consecutive gold medal in the event, and it seems like she was the only Olympian who was not furious over having to compete.
Both the men’s downhill event — which was scheduled for Sunday — and Monday’s women’s giant slalom were postponed, with the latter leaving a gap in NBC’s television coverage of the Olympics. Many believe that’s why the International Ski Federation chose not to nix the women’s slopestyle.
“When it’s alpine, they have a higher status,” Norwegian rider Silje Norendal said, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. “And they really want a good show. I feel like we’re definitely coming in second. We can actually get super hurt. And it’s just really unfair. It’s such a young sport. It’s just sad that we all feel sometimes that we’re coming in second.”
Norendal, one of the favorites to medal in the event, fell during her second run and finished fourth. There were a total of 41 stumbles and crashes in the 50 runs, with only five of 25 riders able to complete their first run. Dutch rider Cheryl Maas referred to the event as a “just a [expletive] show,” while Norendal added that the riders were assured by contest director Roby Moresi that, “If it’s scary, I’m not gonna make you girls go.”
It was scary, but no explanation was given despite the FIS saying in a statement that the safety of athletes is a top priority. The FIS decide to go forward with the event after discussing it with coaches.
“And I think that’s so dumb, because coaches don’t ride the course,” Canadian rider Spencer O’Brien said. “I trust my coach so much, and I would not let him speak for me. In cases like this, you have to speak to the riders and have to see how they feel about their safety. And that wasn’t taken into consideration.
“We honestly didn’t get a say. There was no riders’ meeting to discuss options or to see if the majority wanted to ride or didn’t want to ride. We just got told we had to go.”
Maas described the fear she felt during a practice run earlier in the week when a gust of wind grabbed ahold of her.
“I had so much time to think. For a second, I was like, ‘Please put me down softly.’ I don’t really believe in God, but I am praying to someone up there, ‘Don’t put me in a hospital,’” she recalled. “To have that mid-air, it’s crazy you have those kinds of thoughts. You should be feeling good and confident.”
Here’s a video that gives you an idea of how hard the wind was blowing over the weekend:
Exhibit A: why men’s downhill was canceled today. Good news: it’s been rescheduled for Thurs in S. Korea. Watch it live Wednesday night on @NBCOlympics prime time. #winterolympics pic.twitter.com/ADCn3N9TKU
— Heather Cox (@HeatherCoxNBC) February 11, 2018
FIS noted that “the nature of outdoor sports also requires adapting to the elements,” but it’s unclear why that same principle did not apply to the other events that were postponed.
