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Competition skiing: How many disciplines are there?

Published: Mar 17, 2022

Content

1 Competition cross-country skiing

2 alpine ski trials

2.1 Downhill

2.2 Giant Slalom

2.3 parallel slalom

2.4 combined

3 Telemark and ski jump

Competition skiing is made up of different disciplines ! Each one of them is characterized by a series of particularities that offer, basically, characteristic features that are reflected in the layout of the track and in the way of practicing the sport itself.

FIS SKI WORLD CUP FINALS ANDORRA 2019

Next, we will tell you how many competition ski disciplines there are so that you can have a broader and more precise knowledge ;-)

Competition cross-country skiing

Cross country skiing is also known as cross country skiing . It is characterized by the long route that the competitors have to cover, since they have to do long distances with their skis and that implies a huge effort, hence it is long distance!

The land where it is carried out is flat , although there may be a situation in which the surface can become undulating or acquire a certain slope. Basically, this supposes a complication in the layout. This can be seen, for example, in competitive cross-country skiing at the Winter Olympics, being one of the most complex modalities.

An obvious difference with alpine skiing is that it is practiced on very steep slopes; On the other hand, cross-country skiing does not have this difficulty, precisely because a much more extensive and long route is sought that implies resistance and endurance , accompanied by great physical effort. It can be said that it is one of the ski disciplines that implies the highest performance!

alpine ski trials

Within competitive skiing we also highlight alpine skiing competitions . They are organized in four: Downhill, Giant Slalom, Parallel and Combined.

Downhill

The start takes place at the top of a mountain to take advantage of its slope and descend on a prepared track . The objective is that the snow is in optimal conditions so that the descent can be done correctly and with a certain degree of ice to avoid possible ruts.

The skier reaches great speed on the descent. You have to skirt the colored flags that can be found in short distances, which requires skillful movements and very precise control of the skis!

In this way, the length of the track is conditioned to the entire download process where all the flags must be saved. In addition, there are protection resources such as nets or pads that can cushion any accident.

Giant Slalom

One of the most interesting modalities is the giant slalom . It consists of the descent that is made on the slope of a mountain. trying to ski between different “doors”. It is called slalom due to the type of movement that is executed while descending.

The difficulty is found in the speed that is reached and that implies, therefore, a greater care in the actions that, even, must be accompanied by precise and dynamic changes of direction that allow skirting these doors.

The distance can reach up to 450 meters , with a total of approximately 70 doors for men and 58 for women, although they can be less. They are sautéed and in different positions so that the whole activity involves complexity and great skill in handling the skis.

parallel slalom

In competitive alpine skiing, one of the most recognized disciplines is the parallel slalom. It consists of a competition between two teams made up, generally, of 6 members each. They must make a descent by performing a slalom with the gates that they must go over little by little and that thus requires a precise and adequate speed to arrive first ;-)

This competition is very famous in the Winter Olympics and has a large number of fans. It can be practiced in masculine, feminine or mixed disciplines. In the event that one of the skiers falls, the one who has gone the furthest will always win . Of course, the tracks are going to be identical for both teams.

combined

In this case, we are talking about an alpine skiing event in which downhill and slalom are combined . Each one is done independently. The athlete who completes the course in the shortest possible time will win, something that requires absolute mastery of the skis and the ability to control position changes at high speed!

Telemark and ski jump

The competition ski jump is one of the most attractive modalities of alpine skiing! It has great value in winter sports. It consists of descending at high speed down a prepared slope and with 12 cm wide skis.

Once you take off at an advanced point, a considerable impulse is achieved that provides a precise and advanced jump to achieve, thus, a landing that determines the final value of the test, placing the body in a specific position: one leg, a little more advanced and the balance of the body that is reached with the arms. In this way, an adjusted stability is achieved when reaching the ground.

In this sense, the skier cannot be slowed down in any way, since that implies a loss of speed and a delay in landing. A peculiarity is the position they acquire in flight. They place the skis in a V-shape while putting the body forward. The objective is to reach an aerodynamic position that provides greater speed.

As for the competition telemark , it should be noted that it is a discipline that consists of not having the heel attached to the ski. In this way, the knees must bend more to be able to make the turns correctly.

In short, all these disciplines of competitive skiing receive a large number of followers and have acquired great recognition at the Winter Olympics . Basically, skiing is an activity that is also practiced by many fans in ski resorts and that allows you to enjoy the snow outdoors!

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