The International Ski Federation (FIS) has dismissed the concerns of snowboarders who complained about treacherous conditions at the women’s slopestyle by telling them that “nobody was forced to go down and compete”.

A number of riders expressed their anger at the FIS’s decision to allow the event to go ahead in 30mph crosswinds on Monday, which turned one of the most exciting events at these Winter Olympics into a dangerous lottery.

But FIS spokesperson Jenny Wiedeke insisted that while conditions were tough they were also safe. “We know it was very difficult conditions for the riders,” she said. “Each rider had two opportunities to perform their run. Nobody is forced to go down and compete.”

That comment is bound to provoke anger from the riders, who could hardly have expected to have pulled out of an Olympic final. In total there were only nine clean runs out of 52 in total with riders falling, face-planting or pulling up because they couldn’t build enough speed.

That led to a number of riders, including the bronze medallist Enni Rukajärvi, to complain that the weather was bad and too dangerous, and the event should have been cancelled or moved.

Wiedeke risked further provoking riders further by pointing out that while several of them criticised FIS’s decision to the media afterwards only one objected through official channels.

“There was one official complaint,” she said. “I would prefer not to say who to avoid them being inundated with media requests. FIS has a very clear line of communication with athletes and coaches.”