Strong Winds on Matterhorn Mountain Force Another Cancellation of Women's World Cup Downhill Race

Alpine Skiing - FIS Alpine Ski World Cup - Women's Downhill - Cervinia, Italy - November 18, 2023 A stop sign is pictured infront of Matterhorn mountain as the race is cancelled REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger
Alpine Skiing - FIS Alpine Ski World Cup - Women's Downhill - Cervinia, Italy - November 18, 2023 A stop sign is pictured infront of Matterhorn mountain as the race is cancelled REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger
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Strong Winds on Matterhorn Mountain Force Another Cancellation of Women's World Cup Downhill Race

Alpine Skiing - FIS Alpine Ski World Cup - Women's Downhill - Cervinia, Italy - November 18, 2023 A stop sign is pictured infront of Matterhorn mountain as the race is cancelled REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger
Alpine Skiing - FIS Alpine Ski World Cup - Women's Downhill - Cervinia, Italy - November 18, 2023 A stop sign is pictured infront of Matterhorn mountain as the race is cancelled REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

Persistent strong winds on the Matterhorn mountain wiped out another women’s World Cup downhill Sunday, a day after gusts forced the cancellation of the first speed race of the season.
Organizers delayed the start time twice but called off the event as conditions failed to improve.
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation said the race jury and local organizers canceled the downhill “due to strong wind gusts” making a fair and safe race impossible.
Saturday’s race was postponed and then canceled as the ski lifts could not be operated in the early morning and the winds made conditions too dangerous for a race.
It was not immediately clear if or when the races would be rescheduled.

The wind had already reduced training opportunities during the week, with only one of three scheduled sessions taking place on Thursday.
The downhills were the first women’s races to be canceled this season, after a giant slalom in Austria and two slaloms in Finland took place as scheduled.
Defending overall champion Mikaela Shiffrin, who won a slalom in Levi a week ago for her 89th career World Cup win, leads the standings.



Olympic Cauldron to Rise into Paris Skies Each Night

 Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 27, 2024. A general view of the balloon and Olympic cauldron in Jardin des Tuileries. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 27, 2024. A general view of the balloon and Olympic cauldron in Jardin des Tuileries. (Reuters)
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Olympic Cauldron to Rise into Paris Skies Each Night

 Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 27, 2024. A general view of the balloon and Olympic cauldron in Jardin des Tuileries. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 27, 2024. A general view of the balloon and Olympic cauldron in Jardin des Tuileries. (Reuters)

The Olympic cauldron that made a stunning first flight at the Paris Games opening ceremony will sit on the ground during the day and rise again every evening.

Paris Olympics organizers said that from Saturday, the cauldron attached to a balloon will fly more than 60 meters (197 feet) above the Tuileries gardens near the glass pyramid entrance to the Louvre museum from sunset until 2 a.m.

During daytime hours, 10,000 people each day can get free tickets to approach the cauldron, which is the first in Olympic history to light up without the use of fossil fuels.

Organizers said the electric flame uses 40 LED spotlights “to illuminate the cloud created by 200 high-pressure misting nozzles.”