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Rising temps force Sochi athletes to adapt

KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia — Rising temperatures are turning the Winter Olympics into the Warm Olympics, forcing athletes to adapt.

In sports contested in the mountains — skiing, snowboarding, sliding, jumping — that means switching equipment or techniques, waiting out delays or being forced to skip practice.

At the Laura Cross-Country Ski and Biathlon Center, three racers crashed in soft snow during the men's freestyle sprint Tuesday.

Over at the Rosa Khutor course for Alpine skiing, Bode Miller and other racers adjusted to slope that went from slick to slushy, affecting the way skis react. At least they got in some work Tuesday.

Citing high temperatures, officials called off scheduled training for the women to preserve the track for their downhill Wednesday, when it's supposed to reach 50 degrees (10 Celsius).

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