Vancouver snowboard events called off
Organizers in Vancouver cancelled the final two snowboard Olympic test events at Cypress Mountain on Sunday because of soft snow resulting from mild weather.
The venue, site of the snowboard and freestyle skiing events for next year's Winter Games, hosted World Cup snowboardcross and half pipe competition over the past two days. But Sunday's men's and women's parallel giant slalom were a no go.
"We're pleased to have been able to stage three highly successful days of full competition, and feedback from all participants on the field of play has been positive." said Tim Gayda, vice-president of sport for the VANOC organizing committee.
"[A cancellation] will not happen next year for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games as we'll be on the mountain much sooner with significantly more time to prepare the competition hills and we will have twice as much time between these two events to convert the course."
Mike Robertson, of Canmore, Alta., placed second in Friday's snowboardcross competition, with Francois Boivin of Jonquiere, Que., coming in fourth place.
Americans Shaun White and Kelly Clark won gold in the men's and women's halfpipe on Saturday. Three Canadians made the men's final, but none qualified for the women's.
Focus on parallel giant slalom
Veteran Canadian snowboarder Jasey-Jay Anderson told CBC Sports late Friday that he will concentrate on parallel giant slalom after disappointing results earlier in the day in snowboardcross.
Anderson, a 16-year veteran and four-time overall World Cup champion (2001-04), was eliminated in the heats in the snowboardcross competition. He finished fifth in the discipline at the 2006 Torino Olympics.
"Unfortunately the sport has evolved in a way that is different than what I would have liked or the way that I saw it," Anderson said.
"I'm at a point where I'd either have to pick [snowboardcross] or alpine, and alpine is where my heart is so I have to follow that."
Anderson, 33, won gold in the slalom at the World Cup snowboard championships on Jan. 20 in South Korea.
The win ensured that the Mont-Tremblant, Que., native will compete on home snow at the 2010 Olympics.