Pedersen, 20, had been hoping to sneak into a top-50 place which would have gained him a slot in the Olympic final.

Pedersen’s best practice jump of 81.5 metres on Wednesday had ranked him 50th out of the 76-man field.

Pedersen insisted today the postponement would have little effect on the preparations he has undertaken for his first Games.

He said: ‘‘It was blowing a gale in the Olympic Village this morning and to be honest I had kind of expected it when we arrived at the hill. It was howling with wind up there and cancelling is not uncommon in these conditions.

‘‘You are always prepared for a postponement so this hasn’t unsettled my plans and I hope to do well when it is re-run.’’

The adverse weather also accounted for both men’s and women’s downhill skiing practices, but Briton Mark Hatton was able to continue his sparkling form in luge training.

Hatton ranked 18 overall after his two runs today, and considering his best World Cup placing is 21st, it is fair to say the Middlesex man has hit the best form of his career at exactly the right time.

And the conditions were threatening to turn tonight’s traditional opening ceremony festivities into one big communal shiver at the Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium tonight.