Australia’s aerialists will have to wait another two days before they launch their Olympic campaigns, after heavy snow falls and blizzard-type conditions forced the postponement of the qualifying round at Sauze d’Oulx.

Qualifying will now be held on 21 February (Day 11) with the top-12 competitors from a field of 24 advancing to the final the following day on Day 12.

Australia’s squad of Jacqui Cooper, Alisa Camplin, Lydia Ieriodiaconou and Liz Gardner were reluctant to compete under the worsening conditions as they would have been forced to change their inruns.

“A lot of aspects contributed to the postponement, including the heavy snow fall,” Cooper said.

“It was difficult to see and that would make it difficult to get an accurate speed off the jump."

The snow started falling midway through Australian training around 16:30 (19 February) and then the wind picked up, with blizzard conditions closing in on the venue by the official start time of 18:30.

The event was delayed for 90 minutes in the hope that conditions would improve, but by the re-start time of 20:00 the snow fall was getting heavier, forcing qualifying to be postponed for a further two days.

The conditions would have hampered mostly those competitors attempting the higher degree of difficulty jumps, including Australia's Jacqui Cooper.

“For the girls on the double jumps they need to reach speeds of 50-60kph, but I was going from the top of the inrun and was using the maximum distance I could," the veteran of four Olympics said.

“I was still 3kph too slow under the conditions to have enough speed to get off the jump to do my easiest single twisting triple somersault – which is just my warm-up jump.

"To do my double-twisting triple somersault or triple- twisting triple somersault I would have needed at least another 15 metres of inrun with that amount of snowfall."

Cooper was the voice of the athletes tonight in her role on the Olympic Safety Commission for this event and said the majority of the coaches and competitors were of similar mind.

“It is an Olympic Games and for many it’s a 12-16 year preparation to get here so you want to have a good event,” she said.

But the former World Champion could also see the lighter side of the situation.

"If I wasn't an aerialist it would have been the most gorgeous night to enjoy with all the snow falling, but instead it had me in a bit of a flap," Cooper said.

For Cooper, the Torino 2006 Games is the end of her Olympic career and so she is eager to finish on a high-note, especially after the major disappointment of injuring her knee in training just a week before the Salt Lake City 2002 Games when she was rated a hot medal favourite.

"I'm excited by it, competing here, knowing that it's my last chance," she said.

The 33-year-old will have a day off tomorrow and just lounge around watching the men's aerials competition on  TV.

"It doesn't concern me (the delay). Everyone's in the same situation. Everyone thought they were competing today in the Olympic Games and now you have to come down from that and prepare again," Cooper said.

Tracy Parish/AOC
Torino