Paralympians ski in shorts and T-shirts, and some ask: Shouldn鈥檛 these Games be earlier?

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) 鈥� At this month’s , some athletes competed in shorts, T-shirts and tank tops. One skier lamented 鈥渢ropical鈥� conditions and a snowboarder complained that soft, slow snow put him at a disadvantage. And some worried about their safety.

鈥淚鈥檓 here to represent the disability community on a snowboard, and I want to give the best show that I can,鈥� three-time Paralympic gold medalist Brenna Huckaby of the U.S. said. 鈥淏ut I鈥檓 not going to kill myself in the process … I’ve got two kids at home, and I’m already disabled. I’m not trying to disable myself more.”

The warm weather at the Paralympics that run through Sunday has some athletes asking: Should these Games be held earlier in the year when cold weather is more reliable?

鈥淚f it were my decision, I would absolutely move the Olympics and Paralympics,鈥� American Para snowboarder Zach Miller said.

Miller got into the sport because he saw the U.S. team sweep the debut of men鈥檚 Para snowboard cross at the 2014 Sochi Paralympics. At these Games, he wants to show kids how they can compete in sports and do cool things.

鈥淎nd then it鈥檚 way less cool, because I鈥檓 dealing with, like, really terrible conditions and racing on a course that doesn鈥檛 actually show what the sport is,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 frustrating.鈥�

Miller finished sixth in the snowboard cross finals, and said lighter riders like him can be at a disadvantage in maintaining momentum in softer snow.

German Para biathlete Marco Maier pushed through mushy snow wearing shorts and a short-sleeved shirt so he wouldn’t overheat.

鈥淲e have the Summer Games now,鈥� cracked Maier, who stayed cool enough to capture a bronze medal in last weekend’s sprint race. 鈥淚t is a challenge.鈥�

Temperatures rising at Paralympics

The early March warmth would be 鈥渁lmost impossible鈥� without the influence of climate change, said Shel Winkley, a Climate Central meteorologist.

that can reliably host a Winter Games will shrink because of climate change. The Paralympics are typically held two weeks after the Winter Olympics. The International Olympic Committee has said it’s considering rotating the Games among a permanent pool of suitable locations and holding them earlier because March is getting too warm for the Paralympics.

The International Paralympic Committee is working with the IOC to consider the dates. Moving them isn’t easy because of other major winter sporting competitions, but it may be necessary to ensure the best conditions, said Craig Spence, the IPC’s chief brand and communications officer.

Spence dismissed complaints about conditions this year, saying courses had been excellent. But he acknowledged a future problem.

鈥淐learly climate change is not going to go away. We鈥檙e very conscious of its impact on not just winter sports, but also summer sports,鈥� he told the AP Wednesday. 鈥淲e鈥檝e seen temperatures rising at Paralympic Winter Games for the last few editions now.鈥�

Warming conditions as a safety issue

Changing weather conditions challenge all athletes. But medical professionals say they can be even tougher for Para athletes.

Dr. Jaap Stomphorst, a sports physician at the Isala hospital in the Netherlands, said poor snow quality has a 鈥渂ig influence鈥� on the rate of injuries and accidents among Paralympians. For example, sit-ski racers need very good snow to come down the course safely because they can鈥檛 adjust for ruts by moving their weight off the ski, and bumps can be particularly problematic for visually impaired skiers, he said. at past Paralympic Games.

Dr. Sarah Eby, head team physician for the U.S. Para Alpine Ski Team, noted that athletes without a disability have 鈥渢wo knees, they’ve got all their muscles working right when they need them to work … Thinking of our Para athletes, maybe they have only one leg, they’re relying more on equipment that they can’t adjust.鈥�

Miller, the snowboarder, said warming conditions lead athletes to try to 鈥渕inimize mistakes and ride conservative, because everything you’re going to do is going to be punished out there on the snow.鈥� He added: 鈥淵ou’re worried about your own safety on course, you don’t feel like you can be the athlete that you know you are.”

Warmth forces cancelled training and schedule changes

Organizers canceled practice sessions for skiing and snowboarding to preserve the course for both performance and safety. Some race starts were moved earlier or rescheduled to another day to minimize weather’s effects, including rain that was forecast for this Saturday. The sun has been out nearly every day in Cortina d’Ampezzo and temperatures have risen significantly in the afternoons, with highs reaching nearly 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius).

The organizing committee said it works to ensure excellent, consistent snow conditions by using advanced snowmaking systems to complement natural snowfall, monitoring the weather and temperatures, and planning for a range of weather scenarios. The committee also said competition schedules are reviewed regularly to ensure safety and fair competition.

Austrian Markus Salcher blamed himself for a fall in the super-G race, but said the softer snow also played a role. American Patrick Halgren, who won silver in the standing division, called conditions 鈥渢ropical.鈥� He said the skiing felt like surfing.

Paralympians say they are 鈥榤aking it work鈥�

Some athletes praised organizers for keeping the courses in decent shape despite the warmth. That included American Para Alpine skier Andrew Haraghey, who couldn鈥檛 finish his super-G standing race on a course he said was far from perfect.

鈥淲e鈥檙e making it work, but it鈥檚 not ideal,鈥� Haraghey said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 as safe as it鈥檚 going to be. I think it鈥檚 more so that people are pushing the limits.鈥�

Canadian Para snowboarder Sandrine Hamel said that women’s events are held first in the cooler morning conditions, and it’s warmer when the men compete later.

鈥淚 get the best and it鈥檚 already hot, warm, slower and bumpier,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o they get even worse than that.鈥�

Canadian Para snowboarder Tyler Turner tries to keep the fluctuating conditions in stride.

鈥淲e鈥檙e a bunch of amputees and injured people up there. We can adapt on the fly. We鈥檙e good at this,” Turner said. “For me, I鈥檝e just got to ride and keep my eyes open and stay aware of what鈥檚 happening out there on the track.鈥�

___

Graham and Peterson reported from Denver, Colorado. McDermott reported from Providence, Rhode Island.

___

The Associated Press鈥� climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP鈥檚 for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at .