The final men’s Alpine skiing races of the season have been canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak, two days before they were to start.
A giant slalom and slalom previously scheduled for Saturday and Sunday in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, will not happen.
“The health and welfare of the athletes and all other participants, as well as the general public are in the forefront and the priority of FIS [International Ski Federation] and all stakeholders,” the federation said in a statement. “FIS is fully compliant with the instructions and decisions of the National and Regional Governments and their Health Authorities in any recommendation regarding public gathers that impact FIS competitions.”
The final women’s races of the season, set for Are, Sweden this weekend, were canceled Wednesday and all season standings leaders declared champions. Next week’s scheduled World Cup Finals in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, were canceled last Friday.
Norwegian Aleksander Aamodt Kilde is in line to earn the men’s World Cup overall title, holding a 54-point lead over Frenchman Alexis Pinturault in the standings. That title race was expected to come down to this weekend’s races. Kilde would be the first Norwegian overall champion since Aksel Lund Svindal in 2009.
This season marked the first since the retirement of Austrian Marcel Hirscher, who won the previous eight overall crowns.
The final men’s standings leaders
Overall -- Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (NOR)
Downhill -- Beat Feuz (SUI)
Super-G -- Mauro Caviezel (SUI)
Giant Slalom -- Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR)
Slalom -- Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR)
Alpine Combined -- Alexis Pinturault (FRA)
Parallel -- Loic Meillard (SUI)
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