of hong kong typhoon

Typhoon strikes equestrian venue in Hong Kong: Tropical Storm Kammuri hits Hong Kong. The typhoon has caused the Hong Kong stock exchange to close and flights to be canceled. However when it comes to Olympics and equestrian, the typhoon did not dampen the spirits among the horses and the competitors who were in Hong Kong for acclimatisation before the Games.

This last bit of information is obviously the most important as far as Hong Kong's contribution to the Olympics goes, but the only damage viewed by your correspondent at Sha Tin today was a bit of flapping canvas at the top of a grandstand and a toppled pot plant.

The horses were not only safe but trotting around outdoors during a lull in the storm. Kammuri is an inconvenience, to say the least: the airport and ferry ports were out of action, buses were not running and the stock exchange and law courts were closed, as were many shops.

Not all the competitors are so unperturbed. All the British horses for all the Games disciplines are acclimatising here, but not all of their rivals have arrived. The storm has prevented airlines from flying in to Hong Kong and there are tales of showjumping horses from France, the United States and some Middle Eastern nations stranded at Schipol and Dubai airports en route.

Read more at Times Online ("Paula Radcliffe trapped by Hong Kong typhoon") and The West ("Typhoon no problem for equestrian horses").