Vancouver 2010 Olympics

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Sport Descriptions

Bobsled

In bobsled, athletes use aerodynamic sleds to race against the clock on an ice-covered, serpentine course. Both men’s and women’s bobsled competitions include a two-person race, consisting of a driver and a brakeman. Men also compete in a four-man race, in which two other crew members – called push athletes – sit between the driver and the brakeman. Once the track is clear and the green start signal is activated, each team has 60 seconds to begin its run. The start push can make or break a race. Team members must be in top physical condition to sprint for about 164 feet, while pushing the sled from the starting clock to gain momentum.

A driver needs excellent depth perception, split-second decision-making skills and the ability to choose the fastest line through the curves while avoiding the walls. Because ice conditions are smoothest, and therefore fastest, at the beginning of a race, the top-seeded crews have the advantage of starting first.

In a sport that is timed to the 1/100th of a second, a strong start push and a good line down the track determine the winner. In the men’s competition, the team with the fastest combined time after four runs (over two days) is the winner. In the women’s competition, the team with the fastest combined time after two runs (in one day) is the winner.

Luge

Sliders start in a sitting position on the sled, grasping metal handles fixed to the sides of the track rocking back and forth to maximize launching power.

For about the first 16 feet, competitors paddle along the track using gloves with small fingertip or knuckle spikes to help grip the ice and increase momentum. As the sled picks up speed, the racers lie back, holding onto handles inside the sled, for maximum aerodynamics and speed. Raising one’s head even slightly can greatly increase drag and slow the sled, so athletes must memorize the track. Athletes steer by pressing their calves inward against the front-runners and using the shoulders to press down toward the rear of the sled.

In the doubles competition, the taller racer is in front, almost blanketing the shorter athlete, which allows for a more aerodynamic ride. A strap secures the front driver to the sled.

For the start order in singles competition, competitors are divided into three seeded groups based on rankings from the previous three World Cup races. For the first run, a random draw determines the starting order within the seeded group. For the second run, the sliding order is reversed within each seeded group. The start order for the third run is based on the combined results of the first two runs, with the top competitors sliding first. The start order for the fourth run is based on the combined results of the first three runs, with the top competitors going last.

For the start order in doubles competition, the first run is based on a drawing within seeded groups based on the previous three World Cup races. The start order for the second run is based on results from the first run, with the top competitors sliding last.

Sliders must cross the finish line in contact with the sled. Athletes may not heat the runners of their sled. Officials check the temperature of the runners at the start of each run and may conduct a random check after a run. Extra weight on a sled provides greater acceleration, so sleds and athletes are weighed prior to each run and must be within the maximum weight limit for the event. The maximum weight for the sled is 50 pounds in singles and 59.4 pounds in doubles. There is no limit to the competitor’s body weight.

Skeleton

The goal of skeleton is to race down the course in the fastest time, which means taking the quickest line down the track without hitting a wall. Athletes sprint from the block wearing shoes with spikes that grip the ice. At about the 164-foot mark, the sliders jump onto the sled, stomach down, with hands at their side. To steer the sled, racers shift the weight of their shoulders and knees, and at times drag a toe.

The top-seeded competitors start first, when the ice conditions are smoothest, and therefore the fastest. For the first heat, men and women are placed into seeded groups of 10 based on their World Cup rankings. A random draw determines the start order within the groups. The start order for the second heat is based on the first heat results, with the top competitors sliding last.

Competitors must cross the finish line in contact with the sled. Heating the sled’s runners is prohibited, since it melts the ice on the track and makes the sled travel faster. Officials test the temperature of the sled’s runners before each race. Officials weigh the sled and team members after each run to assure that they do not exceed maximum weight limits. The sled may weigh no more than 95 pounds for men and 77 pounds for women. A competitor may add weights to the sled to bring it up to the maximum limit or may be required to reduce the weight of the sled based on the athlete’s body weight.

The start can make or break a race, so the athlete must be in the top physical condition for a fast, hard start push. Final times are calculated to 1/100th of a second. The athlete with the lowest aggregate time from two heats is the winner.

Freestyle Aerials

In moguls and aerials qualification rounds, a computer-generated random draw determines the start order. The finals start order is based on the results of the qualification round.

In aerials, competitors ski down an in-run to a steep ramp called a kicker, launch into the air and perform a series of twists and flips. Often traveling up to 43 miles per hour, the skier takes off at an angle of up to 70 degrees and shoots up to more than 50 feet into the air. Aerialists spend 3 to 4 seconds in the air and perform difficult acrobatic maneuvers. A smooth landing is also important for a good score. In a single jump, men may execute up to three rotations and four twists and women up to three rotations and three twists.

In aerials qualification, skiers perform two different jumps. The 12 competitors who have the highest combined score from qualification advance to the final round, which also includes two jumps.

Seven judges score aerialists in three areas: takeoff (20 percent), form (50 percent) and landing (30 percent). Five judges, who score takeoff and form, may award up to seven points per jump. The highest and the lowest of those five scores are dropped. The remaining three scores are combined and then multiplied by the degree of difficulty of the jump. Two judges score the landing and may award a maximum of three points each. The five scores are then combined for a total score. The skier with the highest point total from the final round wins.

Ski Jumping

Each athlete takes two jumps. The competitor with the highest combined score for distance and form is the winner. Each jump is scored 50 percent for distance and 50 percent for form. K90 and K120 do not refer to hill heights, but rather the average distance covered by jumpers – 90 meters and 120 meters, respectively, indicated by the K point. For jumps shorter or longer than the K point, points are subtracted or added.

During the in-run, the athlete bends forward, with the chest over the thighs and arms back at the sides. In flight, the skier leans forward with legs unbent and skis in a V position. Skiers land in the telemark position (one leg in front of the other) with bent knees to absorb the impact. The athlete must maintain control until passing the fall line five meters beyond the U point where level ground begins.

For individual events, the start order is in reverse order of the current World Cup rankings, with the exception of the second scored jump of the final event. The starting order for the second jump is based on the reverse order of the scores from the first jump. In the team competition, the start order for all jumps is based on the reverse order of the current Nations Cup standings.

Each ski jump is scored 50 percent for distance and 50 percent for form. The length of the jump is measured in half-meter increments, and then converted into distance points. Five judges evaluate form, which includes takeoff timing, in-flight style, stability in flight, overall balance and landing. Each jumper begins with a perfect score of 20 points, and the judges deduct points for each fault. The highest and lowest of the judges’ scores are dropped, and the remaining three scores are totaled and added to the distance points for the final ski jumping score.

Nordic Combined

In an event sometimes called the decathlon of skiing, nordic combined athletes must use two separate muscle groups and master two disciplines in one event. In the ski jumping portions of the K90 individual and the team event, each athlete jumps twice. The athlete with the highest combined score starts first in the cross-country portion. The K120 sprint event consists of only one scored jump. In the cross-country portion, the first competitor or team to cross the finish line is the winner of the overall event.

The three events are K90 Individual, which is one trial and two scored ski jumps at the K90 hill and a 15 km free technique race; K120 Sprint, which is one trial and one scored ski jump at the K120 hill and a 7.5 km free technique race; and Team, which is one trial and two scored jumps at the K90 hill and a four-person free technique relay race in which each team member skis 5 km.

Each ski jump is scored 50 percent for distance and 50 percent for form. The length of the jump is measured in half-meter increments, and then converted into distance points. Five judges evaluate form on takeoff timing, in-flight style, stability in flight, overall balance and landing. Each jumper begins with a perfect score of 20 points, and the judges deduct points for each fault. The highest and lowest of the judges’ scores are dropped, and the remaining three scores are totalled and added to the distance points for the final ski jumping score.

In the cross-country portion, skiers use the free technique. The skier’s strategy includes pacing, sprinting and choosing the correct wax for the snow conditions. The first team member to cross the finish line in the cross-country portion wins. In nordic combined, the cross-country courses are short, and skiers make several laps around the same course, enhancing the spectator experience.

The start for the cross-country portion is a pursuit start. The athlete with the highest combined score in the ski jumping competition starts first. The other competitors follow at intervals that correspond to how many points they finished behind the leader in the jumping competition. In the individual K90 competition, each point is penalized 5 seconds. So a competitor who trailed the leader by 2 points would begin the race 10 seconds after the leader.

Bit’s of Interest

Bobsled/Luge/Skeleton Track

The construction of the 15 curve and 1,335 meter (8/10ths of a mile) bobsled, skeleton and luge track took 30 months to complete at the cost of about $25 million. The milestone of 100,000 sleds rocketing down one of the fastest tracks in the world since its opening was reached in November 2002. The Utah Olympic Park hosted its first World Cup bobsled event in November 1998, and it continues to be a regular stop on the international World Cup tour in all three sliding sports.

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October 2004 Have you ever tried the virtual reality ski theatre ? It’s inside the Joe Quinney Winter Sports Centre.You hold onto these ski poles and a video plays on a wide screen and you feel like you’re taking an Olympic ski run downhill.The surround sound gives you the feeling of the speed and the floor vibrates to make it feel like you’re really skiing.By the time we were done we were out of breath.What a rush ! If that doesn’t get you hooked on skiing…..