2018 Winter Olympics: Weather forces big change to women's slopestyle competition

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea – The women’s slopestyle snowboarders will have just two chances to try to earn an Olympic medal.

With winds forcing the cancellation of the qualifying round at Phoenix Snow Park on Sunday, organizers postponed the event until Monday morning. Rather than hold qualifying and a final back to back, they opted to hold one contest.

Riders were set to compete in a two-run qualifier that would narrow the field from 27 to 12. In the final, they would have had three chances to put down a run.

The men’s slopestyle snowboarders completed their qualifiers on Saturday before a three-run final on Sunday morning, where Red Gerard won gold for the USA’s first medal of the games. He landed his winning run on his final try after falling on the first two.

Temperatures were in the single digits at the start of the men’s competition earlier Sunday, with gusts of wind throughout it. Though temperatures rose to about 24 degrees by the afternoon, the winds picked up and caused the women’s competition to be delayed twice before being canceled.

In a statement, the International Ski Federation said the decision was part of a contingency plan created Saturday and was agreed upon by team representatives.