Frigid Alberta temperatures forced the reshuffling of races at a World Cup biathlon in Canmore, Alta., and threaten to cancel some of them.

SaturdayB次元官网网址檚 menB次元官网网址檚 and womenB次元官网网址檚 relays at Canmore Nordic Centre have been moved to Friday to take advantage of slightly higher temperatures that day.

SundayB次元官网网址檚 menB次元官网网址檚 and womenB次元官网网址檚 mass starts have B次元官网网址渘ot been confirmed for the weekend as organizers watch the weather closely,B次元官网网址� the organizing committee said Wednesday in a statement.

Canmore is hosting a biathlon World Cup for just the second time after a first in 2016, drawing 200 athletes from 24 countries.

The menB次元官网网址檚 and womenB次元官网网址檚 individual races Thursday are currently going ahead with a high of minus -15 C forecasted.

But temperatures are projected to drop to minus-25 for Saturday and minus-20 for Sunday, which runs up against the International Biathlon UnionB次元官网网址檚 cold-weather policy.

The IBU says races canB次元官网网址檛 start if air temperature is colder than minus-20 B次元官网网址渁t the coldest part of the site, range or course, 1.5 metres above ground.B次元官网网址�

If temperatures are below minus-15 C, wind chill must be considered and the decision to proceed is left with the on-site competition jury, in consultation with the IBUB次元官网网址檚 medical delegate or competition doctor.

The nordic centre in Canmore was built for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary and is the training centre for CanadaB次元官网网址檚 biathlon and cross-country teams.

This weekB次元官网网址檚 bitter cold curtailed pre-competition training this week and sent many athletes indoors to local gyms, the IBU said on its website.

Calgary brothers Scott and Christian Gow, Jules Burnotte of Sherbrooke, Que., Aidan Millar of Canmore and Brendan Green of Hay River, N.W.T., are scheduled to race the menB次元官网网址檚 20k on Thursday.

CanmoreB次元官网网址檚 Rosanna Crawford, CalgaryB次元官网网址檚 Megan Bankes, Sarah Beaudry of Prince George, B.C., and Emma Lunder of Vernon, B.C., are in the womenB次元官网网址檚 field for the 15k that day.

The Canadian Press

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