Beijing Winter Paralympics: Slushy Snow And T-Shirts As Spring Approaches
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 athletes off guard on the largely man-made snow at the Zhangjiakou cross-country event where six gold medals were up for grabs. Competitors in the Olympics last month had battled blizzard conditions and a brutal wind chill, with some events postponed because of the weather. This time it was the opposite problem. Cross-country skier Birgit Skarstein, who competes in the women's sitting category, likened the weather to July back home in Norway as temperatures in nearby Zhangjiakou city nudged a balmy 17 degrees Celsius (63 Fahrenheit).
