Monkeys, monsoon rains dominate at Olympics

Vancouver: Relentless rain washed out women`s downhill training on Sunday, scrapping any alpine skiing on the first weekend of the Winter Olympic Games, while lugers aimed for gold on a track shortened to boost safety after the death of a Georgian competitor. Misfortune has haunted the Vancouver Games, with the death of 21-year-old Nodar Kumaritashvili, who died after flying off the track into a pillar during a luge training run on Friday. The gloomy weather has hampered competition and Canada`s prospects of winning its first gold medal as host. Organisers scrapped a women`s downhill training run scheduled for Sunday. The men`s downhill on Saturday was cancelled and the women`s super combined, also planned for Sunday, was pushed to Thursday. After the tragedy, the International Luge Federation (FIL) and Games organisers altered what had been hailed as the world`s fastest course -- shortening the track by moving the men to the lower women`s start -- despite them saying that it was safe. The men`s luge medal round was due to start on Sunday afternoon and women`s and double`s training runs were also due. The men`s biathlon, men`s freestyle skiing, Nordic combined, and women`s speed skating offered more medal prospects. The Canadians have yet to win gold on their home turf despite hosting Games in Montreal and Calgary, and this time hopes were high they would break the curse as early as the first day of competition on Saturday. Canada poured more than USD 110 million into "Own the Podium", a programme designed to put Canada top of the medal standings -- including a good number of gold -- and was expecting a quick return on their investment. Games chief John Furlong said last week: "We`d really like to get that monkey off our back." But the hosts` gold medal drought extended into a third Olympics on Saturday when American moguls skier Hannah Kearney snatched victory from Canada`s Jenn Heil on the last run of the night in the women`s freestyle on Cypress Mountain. "Score at the end of Day One: Monkey 1, Canada 0," quipped a columnist in the Toronto Globe and Mail on Sunday. Bureau Report