Heavy Snow Forces Schedule Changes for Milano Cortina Olympics

Poor weather conditions have led Milano Cortina Olympic organizers to adjust the competition schedule in Livigno. The men’s freestyle skiing aerials qualifying, initially set for Tuesday, was first postponed to Thursday and is now rescheduled for Friday, February 9, 2026, at the Livigno Aerials and Moguls Park. The qualifying round will commence at 10:30 a.m. local time, with the finals following at 1:30 p.m.

In addition, organizers have postponed the men’s free ski halfpipe qualifying, originally slated for Thursday at 10:30 a.m. The women’s qualifying remains on the agenda, with hopes that the weather will improve for the 7:30 p.m. start time. The rescheduled men’s halfpipe final is still expected to take place on Friday, followed by the women’s final on Saturday. Also, men’s and women’s freestyle ski cross events are scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Livigno Snow Park.

Impact of Weather on Olympic Events

Heavy snowfall and poor visibility have caused significant disruptions during the final week of the Games in Livigno, situated in the Italian Alps near the Swiss border. Prior to these recent weather challenges, conditions had been relatively cooperative. The initial weather concerns on Monday prompted organizers to move up the snowboard slopestyle qualifying by a day.

The women’s free ski big air final faced delays on Monday evening due to a snowstorm but ultimately began 75 minutes late, with Canadian athlete Megan Oldham claiming the gold medal. Tuesday’s adverse weather conditions forced further delays, impacting both the women’s and men’s freestyle aerials qualifications and the women’s slopestyle final. Fortunately, the women’s aerials qualifying and final were completed on Wednesday, while the slopestyle finals were rescheduled for Thursday.

The men’s aerials competition was pushed back to Thursday due to ongoing poor weather conditions. Factors such as heavy snow and limited visibility significantly contributed to the postponement of these events, alongside the inability to deploy air ambulances in case of emergencies.

As the Milano Cortina 2026 Games progress, organizers continue to adapt to the unpredictable weather, ensuring the safety of athletes while striving to maintain the integrity of the competition schedule.