How the arrival of an emergency order of salt saved the Winter Olympics

When a man described as "one of the world's leading experts on salt and snow" tells you to get more salt, you should probably take note.

Sochi officials were advised to order at least 19 tons of salt months ahead of the Olympics, The New York Times reports, but chose to ignore the suggestion. Why they did so isn't clear (perhaps it was a cost-cutting measure, though a few thousand dollars spent on salt is insignificant compared to the reported $50 billion spent on the Olympics). Whatever the reason, the decision culminated in a snow crisis that resulted in a "mountaintop 'Ocean's Eleven'" meeting aimed at saving the Games.

How did it all happen? First, it's important to understand the important role salt plays in Alpine sports. Most people think of salt as the enemy of snow and ice, but the reality is that it's a crucial tool used by the organizers of skiing events to melt unwanted soft snow (which slows skiers) and refreeze it as a hard surface.

Large-grained salt is the best for maintaining ideal snow on the slopes, but it's a scarce natural resource in Russia. Sochi organizers didn't procure enough of this special salt ahead of the Games, and that fact became apparent this week as temperatures soared and snow conditions worsened.

The Times weaves a fascinating tale of a frantic late-night meeting Thursday involving high-rolling a Swiss salt salesman, a rushed order, a missed flight and a few powerful Russians capable of cutting through the red tape necessary to import salt on a moment's notice:

Mr. Plattner worked until 11 that night to make the arrangements. He said he did not even have time to tell his boss. “It was very exciting,” he said.

After sleeping for a few hours, he went to work early Friday. Because of a miscommunication, he missed the 11 a.m. plane but managed to get the salt on another plane that left the main Zurich airport about 3 p.m., he said.

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When the plane landed in Sochi, Russian officials expedited the customs process, according to the Sochi organizing committee.

Warm weather is still causing problems for Sochi officials, but the supplemental salt has arrived and it appears all events will have sufficiently hard snow. Thanks to the work of a few unsung heroes, we'll never know how messy (maybe mushy is a better word) things could have been.