Race officials have cancelled Tuesday’s scheduled running of the Central Ostrobothnia cross-country ski relay due to severe cold.
The race was originally to have begun in Kannus at 11am, but organisers pushed the start time back to 1pm in hopes that the bitter cold would loosen its grip. They had set -17 degrees Celsius as the coldest possible temperature for the race – but the mercury remained stubbornly at -23. Officials decided at 10am to postpone the event indefinitely.
As recently as Friday the race was in doubt for the opposite reason – temperatures were well above freezing and lashing rain was turning the Kitinkangas ski arena into a sea of slush. Over the weekend, temperatures dropped and new snow allowed groundskeepers to get the race course into shape.
Forty-eight teams had signed up to take part in the 64th annual provincial championship, including four teams each from the nearby towns of Pedersöre and Kronoby. Kannus lies some 40km inland from Kokkola in western Finland.
The race may be re-staged on 25 January, but the date depends on the possible changes in the schedule for the Finnish junior Nordic ski championships.
