Team GB slopestyler Aimee Fuller laments ‘Pyeongchang Gust’ after 17th place finish

Aimee Fuller says she feared for her safety as “hurricane-like” conditions played havoc with the Winter Olympics programme in Pyeongchang.

Fuller finished 17th in the women’s snowboard slopestyle event after the qualification runs had been cancelled on Sunday, putting all 26 competitors straight through to the final.

But the weather problems prevailed and Fuller considered herself fortunate to escape injury after crashing off her final jump on the course at the Phoenix Snow Park.

“I had to stop, I had to pull out of jumps – it was honestly like rolling into a hurricane on my first run,” Fuller told Sky Sports News.

“It was for sure not what I dreamed of for an Olympic final, but it is what it is and I’m lucky to be in one piece right now.”

The conditions forced the 26-year-old to take evasive action during the first of her two runs which scored 34.62, before a more ambitious second routine earned 41.43 despite her crash off the last jump.

“There were huge gusts of wind – I’ve decided to call it the ‘Pyeongchang Gust’,” added Fuller. “It is the final, but you’ve got to think about your welfare as well.

“On the second run I wanted it, I was so hungry for it and I gave my absolute all. I felt like I had the right speed but once I was in the air there was a gust of wind that took me sideways and swept me off my feet.”

Also on Monday, the weather accounted for the women’s giant slalom for the second consecutive day, while the men’s downhill, scheduled for last Sunday, will now take place on Thursday.

The International Olympic Committee insisted athlete safety was the priority and pointed to the numerous contingency days available for rescheduling events.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams said the FIS, skiing and snowboarding’s world governing body, was relaxed about the weather necessitating changes to the schedule.

Adams said: “The competition is run by the International Ski Federation. They know their athletes and they know the conditions they work in.

“The safety of the athletes is the number one priority for us. We have time. There are reserve days. There is plenty of time to get all the competition in.”

Meanwhile, Laura Deas outshone GB team-mate and reigning Olympic champion Lizzy Yarnold during women’s skeleton training in Pyeongchang on Monday.

Deas was second and Yarnold, who won gold at the Sochi 2014 Games, third in the first official training run on day three of the Winter Olympics.

And in the second run Deas was fastest, with Yarnold fourth quickest, results which bode well for the four-run competition that begins on Friday and concludes on Saturday.

(c) Sky News 2018: Team GB slopestyler Aimee Fuller laments ‘Pyeongchang Gust’ after 17th place finish