Looking to the skies for safety on the slopes

On Jan 15, weeks ahead of the holding of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, forecasters huddled over monitoring equipment in a command center to assess the weather conditions before a freestyle skiing test event at the Yabuli competition zone.

The wind was picking up at the main venue for the test event, and a critical decision as to whether to go ahead or postpone the following day's semifinal needed to be made based on the forecasting data.

Tang Kai, chief forecaster at the meteorological station for the Games, said that fierce gusts could jeopardize the safety and performance of athletes, and so team leaders and referees decided after a vote, along with the organizing committee, to postpone the event by a day.

When the following day arrived, the wind seemed mild at first, but mighty gusts arrived by midday, howling across the slopes, Tang recalled, thus highlighting the critical role forecasting plays in ensuring the safety of competitors at the Games.

"The ferocity of the wind was undeniable, and its impact on the high-flying maneuvers of the athletes is impossible to ignore," he said.

On the morning of Jan 21, both the coaches and athletes at the halfpipe competition, another test event for the Games, were pleased with the sunny weather conditions in Yabuli.

Coach Shen Xiaoxue said the wind on that day was mild for halfpipe events, noting that wind speeds of around 10 meters per second can have a considerable impact on athletes' performance.

"Wind direction also plays a crucial role, especially for aerial tricks. Athletes regularly check weather forecasts before training to adjust their routines," Shen said.