The Olympic Games have just begun, and hundreds of cross country skiers are converging in South Korea to compete for a world title. Here is a guide to the six events that will take place over the next couple weeks:
Skiathlon: Mass start event in which skiers complete half of the distance on classic skis before switching to skate skis for the second half. Women race 15km, and men race 30km. The winner of the Skiathlon is considered the best all-around athlete.
Classic Sprint: Athletes start in waves of 6 on a 1-1.5 km course. The top two from each heat progress to the next round. There are five heats in the quarterfinal, two heats in the semifinal, and one heat for the final. The sprint events are the most fun to watch, because they are short and action packed. There are also typically a lot of crashes and broken poles as athletes jostle for position.
Skate Individual: Athletes start one at a time, 30 seconds apart, and whoever clocks the fastest time from start to finish wins. Because athletes often don’t know how they stand compare to their competition, there are less tactical moves. Instead, it is a format the favors physically fit and mentally tough racers. Women race 10km and men race 15km.
Team Relay: Each team enters four athletes. The first two legs compete in the classical discipline and the last two skate. This event tests the depth of the teams, and winning country is considered to have the best overall ski team. On the men’s side, it will be contested between Norway, Russia, Sweden, and France. On the ladies, it will be a battle between Norway, Sweden, and the USA.
Skate Team Sprint: Each team enters two athletes. The athletes take turns skiing 3 laps on the 1-1.5km course. The race has the excitement and action of a sprint race, but is a better test of the skiers overall fitness, because they must sprint three times in succession with minimal rest.
Classic Mass Start: The longest of all the events, this race tests athletes’ endurance. The women race 30km and the men race 50km. Because it is a mass start, there are also plenty of tactics involved, as skiers move to break away from the pack a strategic locations. Often the race ends with a sprint to the finish line.
About Sara Falconer: www.skirack.com/blog/meet-sara-falconer
Also See:
10 Cross Country Ski Female Athletes to Watch out for at the 2018 Winter Olympics
10 Cross Country Ski Male Athletes to Watch out for at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Header image is courtesy of www.olympic.org