By TALES AZZONI, BRITTANY PETERSON, PAT GRAHAM and JENNIFER McDERMOTT Associated Press
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — At this month’s Milan Cortina Paralympics, some athletes competed in shorts, T-shirts and tank tops. One skier lamented “tropical” conditions and a snowboarder complained that soft, slow snow put him at a disadvantage. And some worried about their safety.
“I’m here to represent the disability community on a snowboard, and I want to give the best show that I can,” three-time Paralympic gold medalist Brenna Huckaby of the U.S. said. “But I’m not going to kill myself in the process … I’ve got two kids at home, and I’m already disabled. I’m not trying to disable myself more.”
The warm weather at the Paralympics that run through Sunday has some athletes asking: Should these Games be held earlier in the year when cold weather is more reliable?
“If it were my decision, I would absolutely move the Olympics and Paralympics,” American Para snowboarder Zach Miller said.
Miller got into the sport because he saw the U.S. team sweep the debut of men’s Para snowboard cross at the 2014 Sochi Paralympics. At these Games, he wants to show kids how they can compete in sports and do cool things.
“And then it’s way less cool, because I’m dealing with, like, really terrible conditions and racing on a course that doesn’t actually show what the sport is,” he said. “It’s frustrating.”
Miller finished sixth in the snowboard cross finals, and said lighter riders like him can be at a disadvantage in maintaining momentum in softer snow.
German Para biathlete Marco Maier pushed through mushy snow wearing shorts and a short-sleeved shirt so he wouldn’t overheat.
“We have the Summer Games now,” cracked Maier, who stayed cool enough to capture a bronze medal in last weekend’s sprint race. “It is a challenge.”
Temperatures rising at Paralympics
The early March warmth would be “almost impossible” without the influence of climate change, said Shel Winkley, a Climate Central meteorologist.
Researchers say the places that can reliably host a Winter Games will shrink because of climate change. The Paralympics are typically held two weeks after the Winter Olympics. The International Olympic Committee has said it’s considering rotating the Games among a permanent pool of suitable locations and holding them earlier because March is getting too warm for the Paralympics.
The International Paralympic Committee is working with the IOC to consider the dates. Moving them isn’t easy because of other major winter sporting competitions, but it may be necessary to ensure the best conditions, said Craig Spence, the IPC’s chief brand and communications officer.
Spence dismissed complaints about conditions this year, saying courses had been excellent. But he acknowledged a future problem.
“Clearly climate change is not going to go away. We’re very conscious of its impact on not just winter sports, but also summer sports,” he told the AP Wednesday. “We’ve seen temperatures rising at Paralympic Winter Games for the last few editions now.”
Warming conditions as a safety issue
Changing weather conditions challenge all athletes. But medical professionals say they can be even tougher for Para athletes.
Dr. Jaap Stomphorst, a sports physician at the Isala hospital in the Netherlands, said poor snow quality has a “big influence” on the rate of injuries and accidents among Paralympians. For example, sit-ski racers need very good snow to come down the course safely because they can’t adjust for ruts by moving their weight off the ski, and bumps can be particularly problematic for visually impaired skiers, he said. Stomphorst studied injuries at past Paralympic Games.
Dr. Sarah Eby, head team physician for the U.S. Para Alpine Ski Team, noted that athletes without a disability have “two knees, they’ve got all their muscles working right when they need them to work … Thinking of our Para athletes, maybe they have only one leg, they’re relying more on equipment that they can’t adjust.”
Miller, the snowboarder, said warming conditions lead athletes to try to “minimize mistakes and ride conservative, because everything you’re going to do is going to be punished out there on the snow.” He added: “You’re worried about your own safety on course, you don’t feel like you can be the athlete that you know you are.”
Warmth forces cancelled training and schedule changes
Organizers canceled practice sessions for skiing and snowboarding to preserve the course for both performance and safety. Some race starts were moved earlier or rescheduled to another day to minimize weather’s effects, including rain that was forecast for this Saturday. The sun has been out nearly every day in Cortina d’Ampezzo and temperatures have risen significantly in the afternoons, with highs reaching nearly 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius).
The organizing committee said it works to ensure excellent, consistent snow conditions by using advanced snowmaking systems to complement natural snowfall, monitoring the weather and temperatures, and planning for a range of weather scenarios. The committee also said competition schedules are reviewed regularly to ensure safety and fair competition.
Austrian Markus Salcher blamed himself for a fall in the super-G race, but said the softer snow also played a role. American Patrick Halgren, who won silver in the standing division, called conditions “tropical.” He said the skiing felt like surfing.
Paralympians say they are ‘making it work’
Some athletes praised organizers for keeping the courses in decent shape despite the warmth. That included American Para Alpine skier Andrew Haraghey, who couldn’t finish his super-G standing race on a course he said was far from perfect.
“We’re making it work, but it’s not ideal,” Haraghey said. “I think it’s as safe as it’s going to be. I think it’s more so that people are pushing the limits.”
Canadian Para snowboarder Sandrine Hamel said that women’s events are held first in the cooler morning conditions, and it’s warmer when the men compete later.
“I get the best and it’s already hot, warm, slower and bumpier,” she said. “So they get even worse than that.”
Canadian Para snowboarder Tyler Turner tries to keep the fluctuating conditions in stride.
“We’re a bunch of amputees and injured people up there. We can adapt on the fly. We’re good at this,” Turner said. “For me, I’ve just got to ride and keep my eyes open and stay aware of what’s happening out there on the track.”
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Graham and Peterson reported from Denver, Colorado. McDermott reported from Providence, Rhode Island.
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