Reuters
Olympics-Heavy snow a welcome ‘problem’ for Beijing venues
While athletes have been competing on artificial snow throughout the Beijing Olympics, organisers are now dealing with the logistical challenge of clearing away the real thing after heavy snowfalls in the mountains of Zhangjiakou on Saturday. Brown scrub and brush on the hills around some of the mountain venues have made for underwhelming TV images during the Games but the snowfalls have blanketed the area white, while posing some issues for crews at local venues. “In heavy snow weather, one must not wait, it’s a process of clearing as it snows,” Shu Wen, deputy director of maintenance services at the Genting Snow Park, told reporters.