WATCH: First there were concerns about high temperatures and melting snow at the Winter Games, but on Monday it was thick fog that brought things to a standstill at the Mountain Cluster. Paul Johnson reports.
TORONTO – After days of warm weather at the Sochi Olympics, fog up in the mountains on Monday forced officials to postpone men’s Olympic snowboard cross and men’s biathlon mass-start race.
Seeding runs in the men’s Olympic snowboard cross were cancelled Monday morning due to poor weather conditions at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park.
WATCH: Raw video of fog rolling into mountains around Sochi
The elimination rounds were scheduled to begin at 4:30 a.m. ET but, officials called of the event for the day just after 5 a.m. ET.
“I called it as soon as I got here, that there would be bad weather on the day I race,” said Jarryd Hughes, Australian snowboard cross racer. “It can’t stay sunny the whole time for that long.”
The event was moved to Tuesday at 1:30 a.m. ET.
WATCH: IOC officials comment on the postponement of events due to fog in the mountains
Officials also called off the men’s biathlon mass-start race for a second day. The event was originally scheduled for Sunday evening but moved to Monday morning where it was delayed again because of continuing fog. The new start time was set for 10 a.m. ET.
The men’s biathlon will be held Tuesday. The starting time is still to be confirmed.
Organizers said a decision on the women’s 12.5K mass-start, which is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. ET is expected at 7 a.m.
This marks the first weather-related cancellations in Sochi after days of sunshine and mild temperatures.
–with a file from the Associated Press
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