Snow joke: Winter Paralympics athletes angry at scheduling as big thaw hits

"Last weekend the course at the Cortina snowboard park, about 1,450m above sea level, had to be redesigned the night before competition because it had proved too dangerous in training due to snow melting then refreezing overnight as ice. That did not stop multiple crashes the following day, with the British athlete Davy Zyw one of those to end up in hospital, with broken ribs."

"According to the US non-profit Climate Central, the average March temperature in Cortina has risen by 2.5 degrees celsius in the 50 years since the Winter Paralympic Games was first staged. While the group estimates that 52 out of 93 potential sites for the Winter Olympics would still remain viable by 2050, only 22 out of 93 would be viable in March."

"In a TikTok post, the US para snowboarder Amy Purdy articulated the thoughts of many athletes: I don't believe that the Paralympics should be happening right now, she said. The Winter Paralympics have not been staged any earlier than the first half of March this century. It is not the timings that have changed but the climate."

Cortina d'Ampezzo is experiencing significant thaw during the Winter Paralympics, with daytime temperatures exceeding 10°C and no snowfall since the Games began. The snowboard park course required redesign due to dangerous ice conditions from melting and refreezing cycles, resulting in multiple athlete injuries. The men's seated downhill event saw 11 of 23 competitors fail to finish due to slushy conditions. Climate data shows average March temperatures in Cortina have risen 2.5°C over 50 years. Only 22 of 93 potential Winter Olympics sites would remain viable by 2050 for March events, compared to 52 for other months. The IPC acknowledges climate change impacts but indicates shifting the Paralympics to earlier months may not be feasible.

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