An Olympic sport since Chamonix
1924, the Winter Olympics wouldn't be the same without the skiing; although the sport
has evolved to include snowboarding and freestyle, giving enthusiasts six disciplines to
choose from.
Alpine Skiing consists of ten events: five for women and five for
men; skiing on different courses.
Downhill
This is the longest course with the fastest speeds; where each skier
makes a single run and the fastest time determines the winner.
Slalom
The slalom is run on the shortest course with rapid turns through a
series of 'gates'..
Each skier makes two runs down two different courses, on the same
slope, on the same day; with the both times added and the fastest total time deciding the
winner.
Combined
The combined event consists of one downhill (on a shorter course than
the regular downhill) followed by two slalom runs.
The times are added together and the fastest total time determines the
winner.
Giant Slalom
Similar to the slalom but with fewer turns and wider, smoother turns.
Each skier makes two runs down two different courses on the same
slope; with the fastest total time determining the winner.
Super-G
The super giant slalom combines the speed of a downhill with the more
precise turns of a giant slalom.
The course is shorter than the downhill but longer than a giant slalom
course. Like the downhill race, racers only have the one run down and try to register the
fastest time.
Although cross-country skiing was on the first Winter Olympic
programme at Chamonix 1924 (18km and 50km races for
men), women cross-country skiers had to wait until Oslo 1952.
Individual Start
In a staggered start, men race 15km and women race 10km.
Mass Start
Introduced at Salt Lake City 2002,
skiers start simultaneously for the long-distance races (50km for men and 30km for women);
with athletes passing through the stadium every 10 to 12 minutes, while skiing around the
loop.
Individual Sprint
The individual sprint begins with a qualification round where skiers
start in 15-second intervals and ski one lap of the course; with the fastest finishers
moving on to the elimination heats.
Team Sprint
In the team sprint, each team consists of two athletes who alternate
skiing the sprint course three times each for a total of 6 laps.
Pursuit Events
After a mass start, using the classical technigue, skiers enter the
stadium at the halfway stage and change their skis and poles to complete the course using
a free technique.
Relays
Beginning with a mass start, teams of four ski the first two legs of
the relay using the classical style, and the last two legs using a free technique.
Freestyle skiing, where skiers perform aerial manoeuvres while
skiing downhill, was a demonstration event at the Calgary
1988 Winter Olympics.
Freestyle Aerials
Added as an Olympic Winter event in Lillehammer
1994.
Competitors complete two jumps in a qualification round. The
aerialists with the highest total scores from the qualification round move on to the final
round; completing two more jumps in reverse order from their qualification results.
Athletes are judged on the quality of take off, height gained, form
and body position, and how they maintain balance upon landing.
The aerialist with the highest combined score from the two final jumps
wins.
Freestyle Moguls
Added as an Olympic Winter event in Albertville
1992.
Athletes ski down a steep slope and over a series of large bumps
(moguls); with two jumps required. Skiers need to keep their upper bodies facing straight
down the hill while their lower body and skis are constantly turning. Maintaining snow
contact with the skis is an important element.
The top skiers from a qualification round move into the final run;
with the start list in reverse order of the qualification results.
The 'turn' judges award points based on the quality of the
skiers’ turns, with deductions for technical mistakes, while the 'air' judges
determine what jump was performed, how high they are off the jump, and the jump’s
quality.
Run times are compared to a pace-time set for the course, with the
faster skiers being awarded more points.
Freestyle Ski Cross
Added as an Olympic Winter event in Vancouver
2010.
The mass start (four skiers) of ski cross sets the stage for fast and
exciting competition; with the ski cross course incorporating turns in a variety of types
and sizes, flat sections and traverses, as well as rolls, banks and ridges similar to
those found on a normal ski slope while structures on the course resemble those found in
snowboard cross events.
A timed qualification run is used to seed the skiers into different
heats of four skiers each.
The top two finishers from the groups of four then progress to the
next round.
Although men have competed in Nordic combined individual events
since the first Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix 1924,
the team event was introduced for Calgary 1988, and the
sprint event joined the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake
City 2002.
A 'Gunderson' start uses the results of the jumping as starting seeds
for the cross-country race that follows; with the best jumpers at the front and other
'trains of skiers' trying to chase them down.
First skier across the line is the winner.
Individual
Each competitor make two jumps on a 'normal hill' and is scored for
length and style.
The second part of the competition is a 15km cross-country race.
Sprint
Athletes jump (once) on a 'large hill'; with score differences then
used to seed the 7.5km cross-country race.
Team
Each team consists of four athletes making two jumps; with the team's
score in the jumping portion being the total score of the eight jumps.
The same skiers who participated in the jumping must compete in the
4x5km relay; with the Gundersen Method used to determine the start times.
The winner is the team whose final skier crosses the finish line
first.
While men’s ski jumping has been part of the Winter Olympic
Games since Chamonix 1924, the large hill competition
was added at Innsbruck 1964.
The K90 jumps are off a normal hill while the K120 use the large hill
and produces longer jumps.
There are individual men's events in both the K90 and K120 and a team
event in K120; with a team consisting of four jumpers.
Giant slalom and halfpipe snowboarding events made their first
appearance at the Nagano 1998 Winter Olympics; with
parallel giant slalom replacing the individual giant slalom at Salt Lake City 2002, and snowboard cross added at Turin 2006.
Snowboarding is open to both men and women athletes.
Halfpipe
Something like skateboarding on snow, snowboarders use the speed
gained on the slope to come up over the rim of the pipe and perform a routine of difficult
acrobatic aerial tricks.
Parallel Giant Slalom
After the qualification round, a 16-person tournament is established.
Two snowboarders race head-to-head down the mountain through a series of gates; with the
fastest of the two qualifying for the next round.
Finalists would have taken part in nine rounds; more than any other
skier in the Winter Games.
Snowboard Cross
Four racers start at the same time and compete down a course of jump
ramps and obstacles; with the fastest two from each heat moving on to the next round.
Simon Ammann
surprised even the Swiss when he brought home gold medals from both ski jumping events at Salt Lake City 2002.
Kazuyoshi
Funaki was the youngest member of the Japanese ski jump team in Nagano 1998 but managed to win silver in the normal hill
event, gold on the large hill and a second gold in the team event.
     
International Ski Federation:
The official website of the Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS).
Alpine Skiing:
Where to ski when it starts to snow.
Skiing.
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