Ski race. Description, types. Cross-country skiing Sprint cross-country skiing distance

The International Ski Federation (FIS) has come up with revolutionary ideas that could completely change the landscape of cross-country skiing. Already in the post-Olympic season, skiathlons and sprints in the classical style may disappear from the calendar.

Ski racing has changed quite a lot over the past decades. Sprint races and distance races from a general start have appeared, and the Tour de Ski multi-day race has been held for several years in a row. All this changed the specifics of the competition so much that our legendary skier Tamara Tikhonova even laughed: “Thank God, new races appeared after I finished my career. Otherwise I would not have won anything.” Nevertheless, in terms of popularity, skiing continues to lose to biathlon and even to its neighbors in its own international federation - alpine skiing and snowboarding. This forced FIS officials to think about further reforms. This time more global than ever.

WHY WERE THE WORLD CUP LEFT WITHOUT A RELAY?

At the recent FIS executive committee in Zurich, the leaders of the ski racing committee made their proposals, the legendary Norwegian skier Vegard Ulvang And Pierre Minerey. Here are the ideas they presented:

Cancellation of skiathlons (races with changing skis in classic and skating styles) for 15 and 30 km.
- Introduction of pursuit races of 15 and 30 km following the results of races with time trials of 10 and 15 km.
- Cancellation of classic sprints, all sprints will be carried out in a free style with ski cross elements, such as jumps.
- Team sprint with a mixed composition of participants: one man and one woman.
- Reducing the distance in the men's relay from 10 to 7.5 km.

The list turned out to be sensational and rather unobvious. After all, skiathlons are considered a very spectacular discipline and have appeared on the competition program relatively recently.

It’s difficult to include skiathlon in the World Cup,” commented Ulvang. - Since this is a general start, wide tracks are needed, as well as two different circles for the classic and skating parts of the race. Due to two different circles, it is also difficult to show on television. And when a discipline is difficult to conduct within the framework of the World Cup, the question arises whether we should conduct it at the main competitions of the season.

True, here Ulvang is disingenuous. After all, the relay race - the most spectacular and basic format for almost any cyclic sport - will not be held even once within the framework of the current World Cup season. That does not prevent it from remaining a mandatory part of the program of the Olympics and World Championships. Why it was impossible to include at least a couple of relay races in the 2017-2018 World Cup program is unclear. After all, now, when choosing the Olympic squad, teams will be forced to act blindly. No one will have a single opportunity to experiment on the eve of Pyeongchang.

Reducing the distance in the men's relay, on the one hand, will make it possible for sprinters to participate and increase competition in general. But on the other hand, this will require additional routes and efforts from the organizers. Which, in light of the cancellation of skiathlons for precisely this reason, also does not seem entirely logical.

REFORM IS UNDESIRABLE FOR RUSSIA

If ski-skiathlon is a relatively new discipline and its abolition still doesn’t seem like a revolution, the idea of eliminating sprinting in the classical style is indeed extremely bold. After all, until now, sprints were carried out only in both styles and alternated over the years - if in Sochi 2014 the personal sprint was run as a “skate”, then in Pyeongchang 2018 they will run as a “classic”. The opposite is true for the team sprint - at the 2018 Games it will be held in free style.

Following the example of other sports, the logical thing for skiing would be to have both styles of sprints run simultaneously at all major competitions. After all, for example, in swimming there is no such thing as swimming the same distance at one Olympics with freestyle, and at the next - for example, with breaststroke. Or in athletics, every other time they simply jump long or triple.

Classic and free styles in skiing have now gone so far apart that “narrow specialists” get their Olympic chance only once every eight years. Which cannot contribute to popularity and only confuses fans who do not have time to remember the constantly changing winners.

But the international federation cannot or does not want to push through an increase in the Olympic program. Therefore, there was a proposal to simply cancel the classic sprint as less spectacular compared to the speed skating. That, in turn, is proposed to introduce elements from the ski cross discipline - that is, small slides and jumps.

How this will look in practice is not yet entirely clear. But if even a small part of these reforms is implemented, it will completely change the balance of power. And it is unlikely that Russian skiers, who are traditionally good at the “classics” and not very strong at extreme mountain slopes, will benefit from this.

For now, the FIS technical committee has postponed consideration of the issue until the end of the Olympic season. That is, in the coming winter everything will definitely remain as it is, but then any options are possible. And if Russia wants to take part in the discussion about the future of cross-country skiing, it needs to do it now. Otherwise, later the discussion that is being conducted in Western countries may lead the matter in a direction that is completely undesirable for us.

"SKIERS NEED TO CREATE A SEPARATE FEDERATION"

Senior coach of the Russian sprint team Yuri Kaminsky expressed extreme skepticism about the upcoming reforms.

Let’s compare athletics and cross-country skiing as an example,” he began. Kaminsky. - In the 1970s, skiing was even more popular. Now in athletics there are a lot of disciplines, of which there are more and more every year, commercial competitions like the Diamond League, the growing interest of television... Skiing just can’t raise its head, although the sport itself has also become much more interesting. City sprints and races from a general start appeared...

- What then, in your opinion, is the problem?

In my opinion, the development of our sport is harmed by being in the same community as alpine skiing, snowboarding and others. We need to separate, create a separate federation and further develop independently. For example, in swimming, distances are held in four different styles. Why can't the same thing be done in skiing?

- It is believed that the classic sprint is noticeably inferior to the speed skating in terms of entertainment.

Why?! Only Ulvang and his colleagues can think so. Or the Norwegians, who began to lose in this discipline. Entertainment, in my opinion, is determined primarily by the fight at the finish line. There is nowhere else where there is more struggle in the last meters than in the classic sprint. Nikita Kryukov alone I can remember about five amazing finishes, when he took the lead from fifth or sixth places. In the same skate sprint this is no longer possible. And here no one bothers you, you choose a ski track and finish! Remember how Norwegian Odd Bjorn Hjelmseth threw out his leg at the finish line or how Nikita won the World Cup in Stockholm - isn’t that spectacular?!

How do you feel about the idea of introducing ski cross elements into the skating sprint? Do you have any idea what this might look like?

Officials from the federation obviously believe that entertainment is not a tactical fight, not a finishing showdown, but when everyone collides and falls. If the innovations are implemented, it will completely change the landscape of the competition and the portrait of the sprinter as a whole. You will need different training, different qualities, different equipment... It will just be a different sport, and a whole group of current athletes will simply be deprived of the opportunity to realize themselves. In addition, it turns out that with the cancellation of the classic sprint and the introduction of ski cross elements, we are moving away from city sprints, and this is the most spectacular format for television. I can’t understand what the logic is here.

- What can you say about the proposal to make the team sprint format mixed?

If this is an addition to the classic team sprint format, then why not. Mixed relay races are now being introduced everywhere, this is the trend today. But if they again try to cancel the usual team sprint for the sake of a “mixed game”, then I don’t even know how to comment on it...

Ski race- a winter Olympic sport in which athletes need to cover a certain distance on skis in a minimum time. Ski racing is divided into men's and women's.

The International Ski Federation (FIS) was founded in 1924 and unites national federations.

History of the origin and development of cross-country skiing (skiing)

Historians and dated to the 6th-7th century BC. written evidence suggests that the first skis appeared among northern hunters. The first skis were very similar to modern snowshoes.

Due to the harsh climate, the Norwegians showed the greatest interest in skiing. At the beginning of the 18th century, skiing was part of the compulsory training program for Norwegian troops. And at the end of the same century, the first cross-country skiing competitions took place.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the world's first ski community was created. A little later, the first ski club was opened in Finland, after which such clubs appeared in many countries in Europe, America and Asia. By the end of the century, cross-country skiing competitions began to be held in almost all countries of the world.

Ski racing first appeared at the 1924 Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix. Competitions for women appeared at the 1952 Olympic Games in Oslo.

Ski racing rules

The competition rules are approved by the International Ski Federation (“International Competition Rules”).

The following types of starts are used in competitions: separate, general, group and pursuit starts. Time trials usually use intervals of 30 seconds.

The starter gives a warning: “Attention” 10 seconds before the start. 5 seconds before the start, the countdown begins: “5…4…3…2…1”, followed by the starting signal “March”. During the race, athletes are not allowed to use any means of transportation other than skis and ski poles. Skiers must only follow the trail and pass all checkpoints.

Along the way, athletes can change one ski or poles. The change of skis is monitored by a panel of judges; before the start, all skis must be marked.

Finish times are recorded manually or electrically and are given in full seconds.

Cross-country skiing track

Cross-country skiing courses should be located in such a way that they best provide an opportunity to evaluate the technical, tactical and physical preparation of athletes. The level of difficulty must correspond to the level of competition. The main components of the cross-country skiing route:

One third of the course should consist of climbs ranging from 9% to 18% with a height difference of more than 10 meters, as well as several short climbs with a gradient of over 18%.
One third is hilly, rugged terrain consisting of short ascents and descents (with elevation differences ranging from 1 to 9 meters).
One third consists of a variety of descents requiring different descent techniques. The routes are used only in the direction established for the competition.

It is better if the track consists of several laps so that spectators can enjoy watching the competing athletes. At official competitions, the length of the distance ranges from 800 m to 50 km.

Skiing equipment

Skis are the main element of a skier's equipment. Skis are classic, skating and combined. Previously, when choosing skis, it was important skier's height, then now the length of the skis primarily depends on the weight. Each manufacturer has tables that indicate what length of skis corresponds to what weight.
Boots are special footwear designed for use with skis.
There are two binding systems - SNS and NNN, and ski boots are only suitable for one of them.
Ski poles are equipment used by skiers to maintain balance and accelerate movement when skiing.

Skiing styles

Skating style (free) - implies that the skier can independently choose the method by which he will move along the distance. This style is faster than the classic style.

Classic style is a type of movement in which the skier travels almost the entire distance on a prepared ski track. “Classical” ski moves are divided according to the method of pushing off with poles into alternating and simultaneous.

Main types of cross-country skiing

Time trial competitions are skiing competitions in which athletes start one after another at a certain interval. Typically the interval between starts is 30 seconds.
Mass start competition is a ski competition in which all athletes start at the same time.
Pursuit race or pursuit (English pursuit - pursuit) is a competition of several stages. Skiers run one stage in the classic style, and the other in the skating style. The position of skiers at all stages is determined by the results of previous stages.
A relay is a skiing competition in which teams of four compete. The ski relay consists of 4 stages. Relay races can be held in one style (all participants run their stages in the classical or free style) or in two styles (participants run stages 1 and 2 in the classic style, and stages 3 and 4 in the free style). The relay is transferred by touching the palm of any part of the body of the starting athlete of his team, while both athletes are in the relay transfer zone.
Sprint (individual and team).

Cross-country skiing competition

The Olympic Games are the most prestigious cross-country skiing competitions, held every 4 years.
The World Ski Championships are the second most prestigious cross-country skiing competition and are held every odd-numbered year.
The World Ski Cup is an annual cross-country skiing competition organized by the International Ski Federation from October to March.

2016-06-30

is a type of skiing in which participants - athletes need to overcome a competitive distance on skis, while overtaking their rivals.

The first competitions in speed running among skiers took place back in 1767 in Norway. Then, the Finns and Swedes followed the example of the Norwegians, but this was just the beginning. Already at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, the passion for cross-country skiing spread throughout the world, and in 1924 the FIS was created - the International Ski Federation, which by 2000 included 98 national federations.

Ski racing technique

Proper skiing technique represents a system of movements with which an athlete can achieve maximum efficiency of his actions. It also helps to fully realize the possibilities for achieving the desired result. The main indicators of the quality of technology are efficiency, naturalness and efficiency.

If we talk about the actions that a skier performs, then it is worth noting three main ones:
* repulsion with sticks;
* pushing off with skis;
* slip.

There are two main styles of skiing - skating (free) and classic.

Skating (free) style

This style of movement implies that the skier can independently choose the method by which he will move along the distance. It is worth noting that the classic move is significantly inferior in speed to the free move.

Since 1981, skating methods of transportation have been actively used by skiers. At that time, Pauli Siitonen, a skier from Finland who had already crossed the 40-year-old mark, used it for the first time in competition, in a 55-kilometer race and won.

Among the free moves, the most common these days are:
* two-step simultaneous (used on climbs of medium and low steepness, as well as flat areas);
* one-step simultaneous (on flat sections, gentle climbs, plains, as well as during the starting climb).

Classic style

This style includes types of movement during which the skier covers almost the entire intended distance along a pre-prepared ski track, which consists of two tracks located parallel to each other.

“Classical” ski moves are divided into simultaneous and alternating, according to the method of pushing off with poles. Based on the number of steps performed in one cycle, they are divided into alternately two-step, simultaneously one-step, and also stepless.

The most common of them, however, is considered to be a two-step alternating stroke, which is most often used on gentle slopes and uphill sections, as well as on moderately steep climbs (but only with very good glide). But the one-step simultaneous move is used only on gentle slopes (with free gliding), on flat areas or on slopes, with relatively good gliding.

It is worth talking separately about the main types of cross-country skiing.

Types of ski racing

* relay race;
* time trial competitions;
* individual sprint;
* pursuit races;
* team sprint;
*competitions with general start.

Relay race

During the relay race, teams that consist of four (sometimes -3) athletes compete. Relay races can be held in one or two styles. In the first case, all participants run their stage in the free or classic style, and in the second, the first and second stages are run in the “classic” style, and the next two in the skating style.

The beginning of the relay is a mass start, and in order to distribute the most advantageous places, a draw is held between the participants, or they are given to the teams that scored the most points and received high results in previous competitions in this sport.

The transfer of the relay between athletes from the same team is carried out by touching the palm of any part of the body of the starting participant, and only at the moment when both athletes are in a specially designated relay transfer zone.

The team's result is calculated using the basic formula "arrival time of the last team member" minus "starting time of the first member", which is usually zero.

Time trial competitions

In this type of cross-country skiing, athletes leave the start at a predetermined interval, in a clearly regulated sequence. Most often, this interval is thirty seconds, much less often – one minute or 15 seconds.

The starting sequence of the athletes is determined by drawing lots, or by the position of the participants in the ranking (the strongest enter the track last). Sometimes a separate pair start is held.

To calculate the final result of an athlete, the formula “finish time” minus “start time” is used.

Individual Sprint

The competition begins with qualifying, organized in a time trial format, and after this, the athletes who have been selected compete with each other in the finals, held in the form of races with a mass start of 4 people.

Pursuit racing

Pursuit races are combined competitions that are held in several stages. At the same time, the starting order of athletes at all stages, except the first, is established depending on the results of previous competitions.

This type of cross-country skiing is divided into two types:
* GP without interruption;
* GP with a break.

Team sprint

It is held in a relay race format with teams consisting of two athletes taking turns replacing each other after each has completed three to six laps of the track. If the number of teams entered into the competition is too large, 2 semi-finals are held, from which an equal number of teams with the best results are selected for the final.

The final result of the team sprint is calculated according to the same rules as the relay race.

Competitions with general start

In a mass start, all competitors enter the track at the same time. At the same time, the best places go to athletes who have a higher rating. The final result is the athlete's finishing time.

Cross-country skiing (cross-country skiing)- a type of skiing in which the athlete’s movement (running) is carried out using skis and ski poles on a winter road (on snow).

Story

The first start of cross-country skiing on the territory of modern Norway in 1767. Norway was followed by Finland and Sweden. And already in the XIX-XX centuries. Ski clubs began to appear. Ski racing first appeared at the 1924 Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix. Competitions for women were introduced at the 1952 Olympic Games in Oslo.

Types of equipment

Classic style
Initially, the “classical style” includes those types of movement in which the skier travels almost the entire distance along a pre-prepared ski track, consisting of two parallel tracks. “Classical” ski moves are divided according to the method of pushing off with poles into alternating and simultaneous. Based on the number of steps in one cycle, simultaneous one-step, alternately two-step and stepless moves are distinguished. The most common are the alternating two-step stroke (used on uphill sections and gentle slopes, and with very good gliding - on slopes of medium steepness (up to 5°) and simultaneous single-step stroke (used on flat areas, on gentle slopes with good gliding, as well as on slopes with satisfactory sliding).

Free style
“Free style” implies that the skier is free to choose the method of movement along the distance, but since the “classic” stroke is inferior in speed to the “skating” stroke, “free style” is, in fact, synonymous with “skating”. Skating methods of transportation have been widely used since 1981, when Finnish skier Pauli Siitonen, who was then already over 40, first used it in competition - in a 55 km race and won. The most common are the simultaneous two-step skating stroke (used both on flat areas and on slopes of small and medium steepness) and the simultaneous one-step skating stroke (used during starting acceleration, on any plains and flat sections of the distance, as well as on slopes up to 10-13° ).

Main types of cross-country skiing:
Time trial competitions
Competitions with general start (mass start)
Pursuit racing (pursuit, pursuit, Gundersen system)
Relay races
Individual Sprint
Team sprint

In a time trial, athletes start at a certain interval in a certain sequence. As a rule, the interval is 30 s (less often - 15 s or 1 min). The sequence is determined by the draw or the athlete’s current position in the ranking (the strongest start last). Pair time trials are possible. The final result of the athlete is calculated using the formula “finish time” minus “start time”.

Mass start competition
In a mass start, all athletes start at the same time. At the same time, athletes with the best ratings occupy the most advantageous places at the start. The final result coincides with the athlete’s finishing time.

Pursuit racing
Pursuit races are combined competitions consisting of several stages. In this case, the starting position of athletes at all stages (except the first) is determined based on the results of previous stages. As a rule, in cross-country skiing, the pursuit takes place in two stages, one of which athletes run in the classical style, and the other in the skating style.
Pursuit races with a break are held over two days, less often - with an interval of several hours. The first race usually takes place with a time trial. Based on its final results, the gap from the leader for each participant is determined. The second race is held with a handicap equal to this gap. The winner of the first race starts first. The final result of the pursuit race coincides with the finishing time of the second race.
A pursuit race without a break (skiathlon) begins with a general start. After covering the first half of the distance with one style, athletes change skis in a specially equipped area and immediately overcome the second half of the distance with a different style. The final result of the pursuit race without a break coincides with the athlete’s finishing time.

Relay races
Teams consisting of four athletes (less often three) compete in relay races. Ski relay races consist of four stages (less often three). Relay races can be held in one style (all participants run their stages in the classical or free style) or in two styles (participants run stages 1 and 2 in the classic style, and stages 3 and 4 in the free style). The relay begins with a mass start, with the most advantageous places at the start determined by a draw, or they are given to the teams that took the highest places in previous similar competitions. The relay is transferred by touching the palm of any part of the body of the starting athlete of his team, while both athletes are in the relay transfer zone. The final result of a relay team is calculated using the formula “finishing time of the last team member” minus “starting time of the first team member” (usually equal to zero).

Individual Sprint
Individual sprint competitions begin with a qualification (prologue), which is organized in a time trial format. After qualifying, selected athletes compete in the sprint finals, which are held in the form of races of different formats with a mass start of four people (varies). The number of athletes selected for the final races does not exceed 30. First, the quarter-finals are held, then the semi-finals and finally the A final. The table of final results of the individual sprint is formed in the following order: results of the final A, semi-final participants, quarter-final participants, unqualified participants.

Team sprint
The team sprint is conducted as a relay race with teams consisting of two athletes who take turns replacing each other, running 3-6 laps of the track each. If the number of entered teams is sufficiently large, two semi-finals are held, from which an equal number of the best teams are selected for the final. The team sprint begins with a mass start. The final result of the team sprint is calculated according to the relay rules.
At official competitions, the length of the distance ranges from 800 m to 50 km. In this case, one distance can consist of several circles (for entertainment).

Time trial competitions
3, 5, 7.5, 10, 15, 30, 50 km

Mass start competition
10, 15, 30, 50, 70 km

Pursuit racing
5, 7.5, 10, 15 km

Relay races (length of one stage)
2.5, 5, 7.5, 10 km

Individual sprint (men)
1 – 1.4 km

Individual sprint (women)
0.8 – 1.2km

Team sprint (men)
2х(3-6) 1 — 1.6km

Team sprint (women)
2x(3-6) 0.8 – 1.4km

Skiing is represented by almost two dozen disciplines, most of which are included in the program of the Winter Olympic Games. The classification of skiing involves the identification of 8 groups, among which racing, alpine skiing, freestyle and snowboarding are the most extensive. General characteristics unite the types of skiing in each of the groups discussed below.

Race

Skiing began with racing. Therefore, they are considered classic skis and train endurance well. They have been present in the Olympic program from the very beginning of the organization of the Winter Games. Skier transportation methods:

classical;
ridge;
free.

Sprint. By analogy with running, a ski sprint is a short-distance race. Sprint distances are too short for a winter racer. Therefore they were increased to a minimum of 800 m for women and 1000 m for men. The maximum length of the sprint distance for men is 1600 m (in the team version).

Team sprint is one of the most spectacular competitions. Each team has 2 people. After the first team runs the distance, it is replaced by the second - so they alternate three times, carrying out a total of 6 races. The winning teams compete in the semi-finals and finals with a mass start.

Pursuit pursuit racing. They are divided into regular pursuit (with a break between stages) and skiathlon (without a break). At the first stage of a regular pursuit, they start individually at intervals of 30 seconds. At the second stage - after a few hours or days - the participants enter the track in the same sequence and with the time difference with which they arrived at the finish line in the first stage.

In skiathlon there is a mass start, and there is no break between stages. The specificity of the pursuit without a break is that athletes need to cover the first part of the route in the classical way, then change skis and go freestyle. At the same time, the stopwatch is not stopped, which gives the competition an additional exciting component.

The distance of each stage in the pursuit is from 5 to 15 km. One-day pursuits over long distances require good skier endurance.

Relay races. 4 teams, each with 4 people, participate in ski relay races. One person runs one distance (up to 10 km), touches the second member of his team, passing the baton to him - and so on for all four athletes. The first and second skiers run only in the classical style, the third and fourth – free.

Alpine skiing appeared in the programs of the Winter Olympic Games some time after cross-country skiing was included in it. He can rightfully be considered No. 2 in skiing. It does not give way to endurance training.

Downhill. Downhill skiing is a real extreme skiing sport. The length of the descent distance is 3 kilometers or more. The athlete not only rides along a prepared track, but also jumps at a distance of up to 50 m when there is a difference in height. To ensure the best gliding, the descent must have an icy snow cover, due to which an average speed of up to 110 km/h develops. It is not uncommon for an athlete to reach speeds of 150 km/h. The registered record is over 200 km/h.

Downhill skiing requires significant physical preparation, perfect technique, and skier endurance. It is believed that after completing a course at speed, an athlete improves his skills and behaves more confidently on slalom courses and ski jumping.

Slalom. Slalom - “descending trail” - a descent from a mountain overcoming obstacles represented by so-called gates - installed flags, between which you need to pass. You need to go through all the gates. For missing the gate, the athlete is removed from the competition. Characteristics of the slalom course:

The width of the gate is 4-5 m.
The length of the route is up to 0.5 km.
The height difference between start and finish is up to 150 m.

The slalom competition is timed and consists of each slalomist completing two different courses.

Giant slalom. Big slalom differs from regular slalom in larger-scale characteristics:

Gate width – 6-8 m.
The distance between the gates is 0.75-15 m.
The length of the route is up to 1.5 km.
The height difference between start and finish is up to 450 m.

The steepness of the turns in the giant is less than in a regular slalom. The descent technique involves making turns with flat-cut sliding in conjunction with arcs. At speeds of up to 70 km/h, the athlete completes the descent in an average of 100 seconds.

There is also a super giant slalom option.

Freestyle

Despite the fact that freestyle is perceived by many as skiing free of rules, since 1988 freestyle has been included in the program of the Olympic Games and, therefore, is fully related to alpine skiing and has its own standards.

Acrobatics. The so-called aerial acrobatics is a basic freestyle discipline. The athlete accelerates on the descent and makes a jump from a springboard of one or another height and slope. During the jump, somersaults, flips, rotations and other acrobatic elements are performed. Particular attention is paid to the freestyler's landing technique. Separate marks are given for artistic performance and correct landing.

Mogul. Mogul is a descent down a slope consisting of low but frequently spaced hillocks. Mogul skis are not wide, with a slight cutout in the center. In addition to passing the bumpy track, the freestyler must make jumps from springboards up to 60 cm high. The length of the mogul track is in the range of 200-250 m. The condition of the track has strict requirements for the maximum and minimum height difference and inclination angle. The freestyler must demonstrate the ability to correctly perform edge turns, jumps and landings, and show the best time.

Ski cross. The youngest of the Olympic disciplines using skis: ski cross was introduced into the program of the games in Vancouver (2010). Unlike moguls and acrobatics, cross-country skiing is competitive skiing and, therefore, the most spectacular. A distance of 1.2 km with various obstacles - sharp climbs, descents, jumps, gates - must be completed against time. First - individually, in the semi-finals - mass start in a group of 4 people. Athletes reach speeds of up to 60 km/h. Ski cross combines elements of slalom and downhill, enhanced by additional obstacles.

Ski jumping

Not everyone dares to fly more than 100 m in the air with alpine skis on their feet. At the same time, you need to do it beautifully, land correctly, without touching the surface and without falling. Ski jumping is a professional competitive discipline for individual performance or as part of a team of 4 people.

When assessing a jump, in addition to the execution technique and distance, such parameters as wind speed and direction, and the height of the starting gate are taken into account.

Nordic combined

The combined alpine skiing discipline (individual, team of 4 people) includes two stages:

ski jump;

individual 10 km freestyle sprint or team relay of 4 stages of 5 km each.

The starting sequence of participants in the sprint distance is determined by the result of the ski jump, the points of which are converted into seconds according to a special system.

Orienteering

Orienteering is not included in the Olympic Games program. Meanwhile, championships are held annually all over the world.

Participants are given maps of the area with ski routes marked and a compass. At the same time, the laid routes have different speeds. Each participant must make a decision about which routes are optimal to use to reach the finish line in the shortest time. Orienteering may also involve additional complicating conditions: avoiding markers, following a specific route, etc.

Biathlon

A ski discipline that even people who have little interest in sports knows is biathlon. This is a spectacular ski race combined with rifle (or sports bow) shooting. The skier moves freely. The total distance depends on the type of race: sprint, relay, pursuit. Biathlon can be team or individual. Depending on the type of race, shooting at targets is carried out 2 or 4 times from a prone and standing position. Distance to targets – 50 m.

The biathlon course is run against time. Missing the target adds a minute time penalty or a 150m penalty loop.

Snowboarding

In the classification of skiing sports, snowboarding could be classified with freestyle as a “modernist” direction. However, the absence of skis, which are replaced by boards, and increased extremeness (2 times more traumatic than other ski disciplines) require snowboarding to be separated into a separate type. Moreover, the discipline itself is not homogeneous and includes such subtypes as: