Semmering cancels World Cup skiing races

Vienna (AFP) - The alpine skiing World Cup calendar was dealt a further blow Sunday as organisers in a snowless Semmering in Austria cancelled two planned women's races on December 28-29.

"Because of the precarious snow situation we had to cancel the races in Semmering with no replacement," said Markus Mayr, women's racing director at the International Ski Federation (FIS).

On Thursday an absence of snow and mild temperatures also forced the cancellation of men's and women's World Cup events set to take place at Munich, Germany, on New Year's Day.

World Cup events this weekend at Val d'Isere and Val Gardena in France needed heavy use of snow cannons to go ahead. Races in Zagreb, Croatia scheduled for January 4-6 are reportedly also in doubt.