Winter Olympic Sports: Skiing
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VOICE OVER: Rebecca Brayton
Skiing events are some of the Olympic Games' most popular sports. From cross-country alpine, freestyle, cross country, and Nordic-combined, there is an event for every taste. Tests of speed, technical skill and endurance abound in some of the most exciting winter sports. For example, cross-country skiing is one of the hardest endurance sports, as it uses every major muscle group. Alpine events, on the other hand, can be dangerous because of their high speeds. In this video, http://www.WatchMojo.com prepares you for the Olympics by showing you more about the many skiing disciplines you'll see competed during the Games.
The admittance of skiing to the Olympic Games did much to boost the popularity of the sport worldwide. Today’s Olympic skiing events include alpine, freestyle, cross country, and Nordic-combined, which integrates ski jumping and cross country skiing.
Cross-country is one of the oldest forms of skiing to be contested at the Olympic Games, having originally appeared during the first winter games of 1924. It simply involves gliding on skis across flat, snowy terrain using poles for momentum. It is also an element of the winter Biathlon event, which combines cross country with rifle shooting.
Ski jumping is another ski event that has been seen at every Winter Olympic Games. Competitors ski down an inrun to a jump. Athletes are attempting to fly as far as possible off the jump, however points are also awarded for style and landing. As of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, only men have competed in ski jumping at an Olympic level. Ski jumping and cross-country are two of the sports considered Nordic ski events, because the heels of the ski boots used cannot be fixed to the skis.
Alpine or downhill skiing has been an event at the winter Olympic Games since 1936. The sport consists of an athlete gliding down a snow-covered mountain on skis featuring fixed-heel bindings. This differs from the free-heel standard of Nordic ski sports.
Competitive alpine skiing is separated into two general categories: racing and freestyle. Slalom, giant slalom, super giant slalom, and downhill are the various disciplines in alpine racing. Downhill and super giant slalom make up the speed events. Downhill is the fastest and therefore the riskiest event, with racers reaching potential speeds of 80 miles or 130 kilometers per hour.
Slalom is the most technical, and requires athletes to ski between closely spaced gates. Giant Slalom is similar; however the gates are more widely spaced. Super G combines downhill and giant slalom events, with skiers gliding between widely spaced gates over a longer course, at higher speeds.
Freestyle skiing, on the other hand, is a newer Olympic event – its inception was at 1992’s competition in Albertville, France. This acrobatic form of skiing comprises many disciplines. Moguls and aerials are some of the more traditional events, while the new school of freestyle encompasses halfpipe and big air events, among others.
The Moguls event is a competition where skiers must navigate around a number of bumps on the terrain, referred to as moguls, and perform tricks on a steep run. This must all be completed as quickly as possible.
The Aerial event has athletes skiing off jumps to be launched 40-50 feet in the air. They perform twists and flips before landing, and are judged on takeoff, form and landing.
Introduced at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, skiercross or ski-cross is another freestyle event. Most of the sport’s athletes have an alpine skiing background, and ski-cross is a downhill event that incorporates natural and artificial obstacles such as turns, flat sections, banks and ridges. Four skiers race down the course at the same time, with the possibility of passing between athletes. Strength and endurance are tested in this timed event.
With the variety of skiing events found in the Olympics, it’s no wonder the sport is one of the Games’ most popular.
Cross-Country
Cross-country is one of the oldest forms of skiing to be contested at the Olympic Games, having originally appeared during the first winter games of 1924. It simply involves gliding on skis across flat, snowy terrain using poles for momentum. It is also an element of the winter Biathlon event, which combines cross country with rifle shooting.
Ski Jumping
Ski jumping is another ski event that has been seen at every Winter Olympic Games. Competitors ski down an inrun to a jump. Athletes are attempting to fly as far as possible off the jump, however points are also awarded for style and landing. As of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, only men have competed in ski jumping at an Olympic level. Ski jumping and cross-country are two of the sports considered Nordic ski events, because the heels of the ski boots used cannot be fixed to the skis.
Alpine Skiing
Alpine or downhill skiing has been an event at the winter Olympic Games since 1936. The sport consists of an athlete gliding down a snow-covered mountain on skis featuring fixed-heel bindings. This differs from the free-heel standard of Nordic ski sports.
Racing vs. Freestyle
Competitive alpine skiing is separated into two general categories: racing and freestyle. Slalom, giant slalom, super giant slalom, and downhill are the various disciplines in alpine racing. Downhill and super giant slalom make up the speed events. Downhill is the fastest and therefore the riskiest event, with racers reaching potential speeds of 80 miles or 130 kilometers per hour.
Slalom is the most technical, and requires athletes to ski between closely spaced gates. Giant Slalom is similar; however the gates are more widely spaced. Super G combines downhill and giant slalom events, with skiers gliding between widely spaced gates over a longer course, at higher speeds.
Freestyle skiing, on the other hand, is a newer Olympic event – its inception was at 1992’s competition in Albertville, France. This acrobatic form of skiing comprises many disciplines. Moguls and aerials are some of the more traditional events, while the new school of freestyle encompasses halfpipe and big air events, among others.
Moguls
The Moguls event is a competition where skiers must navigate around a number of bumps on the terrain, referred to as moguls, and perform tricks on a steep run. This must all be completed as quickly as possible.
Aerial Skiing
The Aerial event has athletes skiing off jumps to be launched 40-50 feet in the air. They perform twists and flips before landing, and are judged on takeoff, form and landing.
Skiercross
Introduced at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, skiercross or ski-cross is another freestyle event. Most of the sport’s athletes have an alpine skiing background, and ski-cross is a downhill event that incorporates natural and artificial obstacles such as turns, flat sections, banks and ridges. Four skiers race down the course at the same time, with the possibility of passing between athletes. Strength and endurance are tested in this timed event.
With the variety of skiing events found in the Olympics, it’s no wonder the sport is one of the Games’ most popular.
