The women's freestyle skiing Big Air final at the Winter Olympics has been significantly disrupted by severe weather conditions, with a blizzard forcing officials to postpone the event in Livigno, Italy. Team GB's Kirsty Muir, who qualified fourth for the final, is among the athletes affected by the delay, which could extend further if the storm persists.
Weather Woes Hit Alpine Events
Heavy snowfall and high winds have plagued the Bormio and Livigno area throughout the day, creating unsafe conditions for competition. The men's slalom event on the Stelvio piste in Bormio was badly affected earlier, with only 44 of 96 racers completing the first run due to the poor weather. Although conditions improved for the afternoon's final run, by nightfall, Livigno—located 35km away and nearly 2000ft higher in the Italian Alps—was hit by a full-blown blizzard.
Ground Staff Struggle to Clear Course
Officials initially delayed the Big Air final by 30 minutes, but as heavy snow and high wind speeds made it unsafe to compete, the postponement was extended to 90 minutes. Ground staff attempted to clear the snow from the course using leaf blowers, but their efforts proved largely ineffective against the relentless blizzard. The competition is now scheduled to start at 8pm GMT (9pm local time), though it could be rescheduled for later in the Games if the weather fails to clear.
Impact on Top Qualifiers
Kirsty Muir, who finished just off the podium in last week's slopestyle competition, qualified fourth for the Big Air final, behind slopestyle medallists Megan Oldham, Eileen Gu, and Mathilde Gremaud. The delay adds uncertainty to the event, with athletes having to wait out the storm. In the warm-up sessions, China's Eileen Gu even fell amid the heavy snow, highlighting the challenging conditions.
The postponement underscores the unpredictable nature of outdoor winter sports, with weather playing a critical role in event scheduling and athlete performance. Officials continue to monitor the situation closely, hoping for a break in the blizzard to allow the competition to proceed safely.
