1.   Japanese army troops have been working feverishly day and night, stomping the snow to harden the course.

2.   But swirling wind and overnight temperatures near zero hardened the course and may have cost the Austrians the race.

3.   Rain had threatened to cancel the race, but the organizers worked feverishly to harden the course by injecting it with salt and water.

4.   The organizers delayed the start of the second run by an hour to harden the course with chemicals.