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Snow delays women’s aerials qualifying

American Cook, 23 others must wait until Tuesday

SAUZE d’OULX, Italy - Heavy snow postponed qualifying for Olympic women’s aerials Sunday, meaning American Emily Cook and 23 others will have to wait two more days to make their first jumps.

Qualifying was rescheduled for Tuesday night, previously an off day. The men are scheduled to qualify Monday.

A steady storm Sunday dumped ankle-deep snow on Sauze d’Oulx. Authorities temporarily blocked outbound traffic while they tried to clear the winding road leading from the ski area.

There was little wind, but with the snow as heavy as it was, it made speed approaching the jump ramps unpredictable and unsafe for the 24 aerialists.

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“The girls doing triples couldn’t get enough speed to do triples and the girls doing doubles, it was dangerous for them, too,” Cook said of the early warmup jumps, which took place when the storm was just starting.

For the 26-year-old Boston native, it means another 48 hours before she becomes an official Olympic competitor. She qualified for the U.S. team in 2002 but suffered a devastating injury in training — breaking and dislocating bones in both feet and tearing ligaments. She watched those Olympics from a wheelchair.

It took three operations, two of them major, to get back into jumping shape.

Even with the 48-hour delay, Cook is as excited as ever.

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“For those of us who have been through big injuries and come back from them, this is an amazing moment,” she said. “Even up there training with the weather, we were having fun for sure.”

Jana Lindsey is the other American jumper.

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