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From the Olympics Toword Tomorrow
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Nagano Olympic men's downhill put off again
9:00- Start
Bad weather forced organizers Thursday to postpone the men's downhill race and the downhill portion of the men's Alpine combined event of the Nagano Olympic Winter Games.
The decision was announced two and a half hours after the initial starting time of 9. a.m. A new timetable for the Olympic Alpine skiing events will be revealed later in the day.
Two test runners completed the Happo-one course in the ski resort village of Hakuba.
But, race officials did not give the green light for the start due to the poor visibility at the upper section of the course which was covered with a thick fog, steady snow and strong winds.
Rain began falling around the original starting time on the lower part of the course and in the finish area on an unseasonably warm day for Hakuba. Weather forecasts predict a steady rainfall until later in the day.
Unfavorable weather has disrupted the Alpine skiing timetable at the Nagano Games and the medals have been decided in only one event thus far -- the women's super giant slalom held under sunny skies Wednesday.
The men's downhill was originally slated for last Sunday as the first race in the Alpine skiing competition, one day after the opening ceremony of the 18th Olympic Winter Games.
In an attempt to smooth out the rescheduling of Alpine events, organizers had reversed the order of the men's combined competition in which the slalom portion was held Tuesday.
The original schedule called for the men's combined downhill to be staged last Monday prior to the slalom competition two days later. (Kyodo News)
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Copyright 1998 The Shinano Mainichi Shimbun