The men's 50km freestyle mass start was shortened in distance to 30km in an effort "to reduce the time of exposure of athletes in extreme conditions," FIS Cross-Country announced, citing strong winds and cold temperatures.
The freestyle mass start was also delayed and will start at 2:00 a.m. ET, instead of 1:00 a.m. ET, early Saturday morning.
One hour before the event was to start, organizers made adjustments when temperatures dropped to 3 degrees Fahrenheit at the National Cross-Country Center in China. The men's 30km mass start is the final men’s cross-country skiing event at the 2022 Winter Olympics and they will be racing the same length as the women’s 30km freestyle mass start, set to take place on Feb. 20 at 1:30 a.m. ET.