The Australian women's aerial skiers will have to cool their heels for another 48 hours after the qualifying round for the competition was postponed because of heavy snow.

After an almost barren fortnight in terms of snow, the heavens opened up on Saturday before an even bigger storm hit the Italian Alps on Sunday.

The result was the women's aerials event - Australia's last real show of a medal - was put back until Tuesday night local time.

Skiers had completed their training runs but most of the international coaches agreed conditions were unsafe.

"Visibility wasn't an issue, it was speed," Australian coach Todd Ossian said of athletes being able to judge their take-offs from the jumps.

"I think everybody was happy. When you train for four years for an event you want to get your speed right and do nice jumps."

The competition was postponed twice during the evening before the final call was made at 8.30pm local time.

"No matter how good a jumper you are or how much experience you have it is impossible to figure how much you need to step up and commit yourself," said Ossian, who added someone might "kill themself" if they tried to jump in the heavy snow.

Twelve athletes will progress to Wednesday's final after Tuesday's qualifier with Australia fielding four competitors in Alisa Camplin, Lydia Ierodiaconou, Jacqui Cooper and Liz Gardner.

Ierodiaconou is considered the most realistic chance of a medal.

In Australian action, the two-man bobsleigh team of Jeremy Rolleston and Shane McKenzie equalled Australia's best ever result when they finished 22nd on the Cesana Pariol track.

Rolleston and McKenzie missed an elusive top-20 placing, which qualifies teams for a fourth and final run, by 0.36 seconds.

The gold medal was won by Andre Lange and Kevin Kuske of Germany with a combined time of 3:43.38 for the four runs.

Canadians Pierre Lueders and Lascelles Brown won the silver, finishing 0.21 seconds behind the winners, while Swiss sliders Martin Annen and Beat Hefti took bronze.

Australians Jason Giobbi and Adam Barclay also came 22nd in the event at Nagano in 1998.

In other news the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has failed in its bid to get the four-man bobsleigh team a start at these Games.

The AOC had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after a member of the Brazilian team, who had helped his crew qualify at the expense of Australia, had returned a positive drugs test.

But CAS rejected the appeal.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP