Livigno Winter Olympics: Snow Delays Snowboard & Freestyle Events

Heavy snowfall forced the postponement of multiple events at the Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy, on Tuesday, disrupting the competition schedule for snowboard and freestyle skiing.

Organizers delayed the women’s snowboard slopestyle final, originally slated for the Livigno Snow Park, and the qualifying round for women’s freestyle aerials at the Livigno Aerials and Moguls Park, citing dangerous conditions. A steady snowfall, combined with temperatures of 21 degrees below zero, raised concerns about visibility and the impact on athletes’ speed and safety, particularly on the steep aerials jump.

Competitors in the women’s aerials event had completed practice runs before the postponement. The field includes Xu Mengtao of China, the defending Olympic champion, and Hanna Huskova of Belarus, who is competing as a neutral athlete and secured a silver medal in the previous games. Officials initially hoped to resume the event later in the day, but ultimately called off competition for Tuesday.

No new dates have been announced for either the women’s aerials qualifiers or the men’s event, which was scheduled to follow. The postponement of the women’s slopestyle final similarly lacks a confirmed reschedule date.

Zoi Sadowski-Synnott of New Zealand, the reigning Olympic gold medalist and world champion, was considered the favorite in the women’s slopestyle competition. Japan’s Murase Kokomo was expected to be a strong challenger.

Workers were observed using shovels to minimize snow accumulation on the courses, but the persistent snowfall proved too significant to maintain safe competition conditions. The disruptions come as the Winter Olympics continue in the Italian Alps, drawing attention to the challenges of staging outdoor events in mountainous regions during winter.