Alex Honnold's climb of Taipei 101 skyscraper delayed by 24 hours

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TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Organizers delayed professional rock climber Alex Honnold's ropeless ascent of the Taipei 101 skyscraper for 24 hours due to weather, they said.

Honnold's free solo climb of the iconic building in Taiwan's capital city was supposed to be broadcast live on Netflix on Saturday local time, or Friday evening for viewers in the U.S.

But it was still raining in Taipei less than an hour before the event's scheduled start. Organizers have delayed Honnold’s climb until Sunday morning in Taiwan, where the weather forecast shows sunnier skies.

Netflix said in their announcement that safety was their top priority.

A crowd of about 100 people had gathered to watch the climb. Queenie Chang, a Taiwanese fan of Honnold, said she understood the decision to postpone.

"His safety comes first, and I’ll still come back tomorrow,” she said.

Organizers previously said they were aware of a chance of light rain on the morning of the climb and were prepared to delay the event for Honnold’s safety if weather conditions were bad.

The event will air live on Saturday evening in the U.S. at 5 p.m. Pacific or 8 p.m. Eastern.