Rock climbing rescheduled due to adverse weather at National Games

XI'AN, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Rock climbing scheduled for Saturday has been suspended until Sunday due to sustained rainfall here at China's 14th National Games.

"The rock would be too slippery for athletes to climb," explained Cheng Ying, chief referee of rock climbing.

Just like the agriculture, outdoor competitive sports is also susceptible to weather - heavy rain or snow, strong wind or thick smog may all lead to suspension or cancelation of the games.

At the Tokyo Olympics, some sailing events planned to be held on August 2 were suspended until the next day, because the wind power that day would not be strong enough to ensure the fairness of the competition according to the weather forecast.

Thunderstorm could prevent rowing competition to take place but rain may not make it suspended. On Saturday, the rowing competition of China's 14th National Games held in Yangling, Shaanxi Province witnessed its first medal day in the rain. Rowers' hair and suits were all wet, but their performance was not influenced.

At the Beijing 2008 Olympics, however, rowing competition supposed to be held at 14:10 on August 14 was suspended until the next day due to rainstorm as well as thunderbolt.

According to Wang Zhenhai, deputy head of Qinghai Meteorological Observatory, meteorological service plays an important role in sports competition.

"Meteorological department must provide reliable information for event organizing committee, so as to ensure athletes' security," Wang said.

Tour of Qinghai Lake International Road Cycling Race has been held in northwest China's Qinghai Province for 20 consecutive years, which is well-known for its long distance and high-altitude.

In Tour of Qinghai, athletes may be challenged by extreme weather. The racing course of 2017 Tour of Qinghai Lake International Road Cycling Race was terminated halfway through because of sudden rainstorm.

According to Yang Haining, deputy head of Sports Bureau of Qinghai Province, Tour of Qinghai Lake is usually held in high-altitude mountainous region, and the slippery roads due to rainstorm may cause traffic collision, which can be life-threatening.

"We will the race in consideration of athlete's security," Yang added.

Winter sports are also heavily affected by the weather. For instance, ski resorts are usually established in freezing and high-altitude regions, and elements such as visibility and snowfall will decide whether the competition can be held as planned.

"Extreme weather is something we must face in competition, but the day-to-day hard training will relieve our anxiety," said Cui Xiaotong, a rowing champion at the Tokyo Olympics and the National Games. "We should respect the natural law."