Wind-related injury count reaches double digits at PyeongChang Olympics
High-speed gusts and flying debris have been responsible for 16 injuries to staff and fans in PyeongChang as wind continues to wreak havoc on the Olympics.
Officials on Thursday revealed the extent of the wind-related damage, with spokesman Sung Baik-you saying that 13 staff members and three spectators “suffered light injuries, were treated and then sent home.”
Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel reported Wednesday that a woman outside the Gangneung Ice Arena had been knocked to the ground, placed in a neck brace and transported away via ambulance.
The same day, winds up to 45 miles per hour forced the evacuation of the Gangneung Olympic Park. Sung said that 60 tents and 120 pieces of steel fencing were damaged by the gusts. Because many of the structures in the park are temporary ones, organizers feared that debris would be scattered all over the place. In some cases, that happened.
And that’s not to mention the effect the wind has had on the Games themselves. Multiple events have been postponed and rescheduled. Monday’s women’s slopestyle snowboarding event was marred by wipeouts and complaints that the competition should have been put off until winds subsided.
They have subsided on Thursday, with competition going ahead as planned and the gusts no longer injurious. But they’ve already taken their toll.
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