ZHANGJIAKOU (CHINA) – Cross-country skiers ploughed through slushy snow wearing T-shirts on day five of the Beijing Winter Paralympics Wednesday as spring-like weather pushed temperatures well above freezing.
The warm spell caught some skiers off guard on the largely man-made snow at the Zhangjiakou cross-country event where six gold medals were up for grabs.
Athletes in the Olympics last month at the same venue had battled blizzard conditions and a brutal wind chill, with some events postponed because of the weather.
Norwegian cross-country skier Birgit Skarstein, who competes in the women’s sitting category, likened the weather to July in Norway as temperatures in the…
