Alpine skiing World Cup finals cancelled due to coronavirus

The alpine skiing World Cup finals, scheduled for Cortina d’Ampezzo between March 16-22, have been cancelled due to the spread of the coronavirus, the Italian Winter Sports Federation announced.

The number of thosekilled by COVID-19 in Italy jumped to 197 on Friday with more than 4,600 casesrecorded, and government emergency decrees have led to a swathe of sportsevents being cancelled or postponed.

   

The cancellation means there are just four men’s races leftof a scheduled 43 and three for the women from a scheduled 37 this season.

“It is with great regret that we cancel the event butthe decision was unanimous,” the Italian ski federation said.

The cancellation adds to the sporting drama in the alpineWorld Cup.

Both the men’s and women’s overall titles are tight affairswith Frenchman Alexis Pinturault and American Mikaela Shiffrin both under greatpressure at the end of the season.

While 24-year-old Shiffrin has a run-in featuring herfavoured slalom, Pinturault has a tough weekend ahead with his weaker speedevents, the downhill and super-G, on the menu at Kvitfjell in Norway.

Breathing down the Frenchman’s neck are two Norwegians, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, who is just 26 points adrift, and Henrik Kristoffersen at 107 points, with 100 points per-win available.

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