World Cup downhill skiing event at Matterhorn canceled due to weather

LAGHI CIME BIANCHE, Italy — The Matterhorn mountain faced heavy snowfalls and strong winds, resulting in the cancellation of the men’s World Cup downhill race on Sunday. This marks the second consecutive year that the weekend program has been wiped out at this new venue for the sport.

Race organizers cited the forecast for strong winds throughout Sunday as the reason for the cancellation. The Gran Becca course, with its high-altitude location, remains untested for downhill racing on the World Cup circuit.

Designed by 2010 Olympic men’s downhill champion Didier Defago, the Gran Becca course was intended to be an early-season start for speed racers at a potentially iconic venue. However, last year’s planned inauguration events for both men’s and women’s downhill races were lost due to a lack of snow.

Despite the setbacks, two women’s downhills are scheduled for next weekend at the course near the well-known Swiss resort, Zermatt. The men’s World Cup circuit has already faced three canceled races this season due to weather conditions.

Looking ahead, the men’s World Cup is set to continue in Gurgl, Austria, for a slalom race scheduled for Saturday. Speed racers are now expected to kick off their season at Beaver Creek, Colorado, with two downhill races and a super-G planned from Dec. 1-3.