Briton Musgrave blasts 'ridiculous' decision to shorten Olympic race
-
Rescue for whale stranded off German coast in 'decisive phase'
-
Djokovic pulls out of Madrid Open
-
Japanese fans gather to welcome BTS on world tour
-
'Gomorrah' author cleared of defaming far-right Italian minister
-
Video game voice star Troy Baker says 'only humans' can make art
-
Pope to lead huge mass in Cameroon city hit by post-vote protest deaths
-
Raucous partying and some rugby as Hong Kong Sevens turns 50
-
Slot backs Ekitike to recover from 'devastating' Achilles injury
-
Lebanese civilians head home as truce with Israel takes effect
-
Mexican writer Elena Poniatowska's typewriter, photographs go on display
-
Canada T20 World Cup game under ICC scrutiny after corruption claim
-
South Korea unveils plan to bring back Formula One
-
Depardieu drops lawsuit over report that sped up downfall
-
'Cruelly hot': Japan devises new term for heatwave days
-
British PM again under fire over ex-envoy to US appointment
-
Myanmar's ex-president pardoned of post-coup convictions
-
Under blackout threat, Wikimedia to hold talks with Indonesia
-
10-day Israel-Lebanon truce begins as Lebanese army warns of 'violations'
-
War with Pakistan halts school for Afghan border children
-
Famed photographer Joel Meyerowitz embraces camera phones
-
Russia trains teenage influencers to churn out pro-war content
-
Pope visits Cameroon city hit by post-vote protest deaths
-
Harry and Meghan meet survivors of Bondi Beach attack
-
Red-hot Bayern on cusp of Bundesliga title as perfect week rolls on
-
Myanmar leader commutes all death sentences
-
Wrexham's Hollywood takeover fuels economic boom
-
In Belgium, prime minister's wife shares anorexia struggle
-
Australian soldier accused of war crimes in Afghanistan granted bail
-
Marvel premieres first 'Avengers: Doomsday' trailer at CinemaCon
-
God, destiny, Griezmann: Atletico target rare Copa del Rey success
-
Racing 92's Manu eyes All Blacks World Cup berth
-
Judgement day for Man City and Arsenal in title showdown
-
Stocks reverse as investors await news on US-Iran peace talks
-
Venzuela, IMF, World Bank restore relations, paving way for investment
-
All Blacks great Jones says rugby union losing 'hearts and minds' to league
-
England great Catt says 'good guy' Prince Harry a boon for rugby
-
'AI shamans' tell the fortunes of curious South Koreans
-
Escaped wolf in South Korea recaptured, returned to zoo
-
Macron, Starmer rally allies to mull Hormuz mission
-
Japan's Olympic pairs skating champions announce retirement
-
IMF, World Bank say restoring relations with Venezuela, recognizing interim government
-
Iranian women footballers have 'hope for future' in Australia
-
Aberg grabs one-stroke lead at RBC Heritage, Scheffler five back
-
Embattled LIV Golf to make 'surprise' changes: CEO
-
Hungary's Orban urges party 'renewal' after vote loss
-
France reports over 40 cryptocurrency kidnappings so far this year
-
Matador Technologies Acquires 2 Bitcoin Using ATM Program Proceeds and Deploys Holdings into Yield Generation Strategy with Galaxy
-
Global Interactive Technologies, Inc. Announces Receipt of a Delinquency Compliance Alert Letter from Nasdaq
-
Helio Announces Successful Centri Capital Conference Participation at NASDAQ, Expanded Investor Base, and Upcoming Roadshows
-
XCF Global, Inc. Announces Receipt of $10 Million Plant Conversion Funding in Support of Pending Business Combination
Briton Musgrave blasts 'ridiculous' decision to shorten Olympic race
British cross-country skier Andrew Musgrave savaged the "absolutely ridiculous" decision to slash the men's 50-kilometre mass start event to 30km because of freezing winds at the Beijing Olympics on Saturday.
Temperatures plunged to minus 17 degrees Celsius (1.5 degrees Fahrenheit) for the shortened race, but Musgrave was less than impressed by the change after finishing 12th.
"I thought it was a ridiculous decision," said the 31-year-old.
"If it's warm enough to race then I don't see why doing an hour and a quarter or 30km, compared to two hours in the 50km, makes it any better.
"It's still the same temperature, it's still the same wind, so I thought it was an absolutely ridiculous decision."
Organisers blamed "strong winds" for the change to the length of the race, but Musgrave said: "I haven't got a clue why they did it. To be honest, I don't know what they were thinking. Seems a little bit strange to me."
Alexander Bolshunov won gold, his third of the Beijing Games, ahead of his fellow Russian Ivan Yakimushkin.
Yakimushkin called it "the right decision" to make the race 30km.
"It was a unanimous decision by all the teams to shorten it due to the weather conditions so that the athletes would not freeze or come down with serious illnesses after this race," he said.
Ch.P.Lewis--AT