Several athletes crashed during their events this year because of fake snow, but the company that manufactures the artificial snow-making machines used at the Beijing Winter Olympics said that's not the reason.
While many were quick to blame the faux snow for Olympic injuries, the lack of test runs available to athletes compared to previous years was what Michael Mayr pointed out. Most Olympians were not allowed to travel to Beijing prior to the Olympics to assess the course's condition.
Normally, there are two years of test events where the athletes can ski and snowboard down in order to learn about the course ahead of time, according to Mayr.
Man-made snow is becoming increasingly important to winter sports as climate change alters precipitation levels. The quality of artificial snow can vary by location, and Beijing's Yanqing mountains can be very compact due to the area's dry, cold conditions.
Team USA's Nina O'Brien broke her leg during the women's giant slalom event on February 7. Japanese snowboarder Rina Yoshika, who was able to train on the Beijing course, injured her spine and underwent surgery after she crashed during a practice run.
The athletes have differing opinions on the artificial snow. Despite falling twice and failing to qualify for the slalom and giant slalom events, America's two-time Olympic gold medal winner Mikaela Shiffrin said the conditions were incredible.
Several top athletes and coaches told Canada's largest newspaper that courses using artificial snow are more dangerous than natural snow.
In an interview with Time Magazine, Mayr said that artificial snow is the perfect snow for athletes.
We need a little bit softer snow on the freestyle venues. He said that they could set the quality for all of that.
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