3. Speed Skating

Speed skating takes place on a 400 metre oval ice rink. Timed to one-hundredth of a second, athletes compete in pairs, skating counter-clockwise around the oval and changing lanes once per lap, to equalise the distance covered. The skater in the outside lane has the right-of-way at the crossover if the skaters arrive at the changeover point at the same time.

There are different types of competitive speed skating races, they are as follows: Ladies’ 500 m, Men’s 1,000 m, Ladies’ 1,000 m, Men’s 1,500 m, Ladies’ 1,500 m, Ladies’ 3,000 m, Men’s 5,000 m, Ladies’ 5,000 m, Men’s 10,000 m, Men’s Team Pursuit and lastly the Ladies’ Team Pursuit.

4. Snowboard

Combining elements of surfing, skateboarding and skiing, snowboard — one of the fastest growing sports — is a recent addition to the Olympic Winter Games. In the half pipe, one snowboarder at a time performs a routine of acrobatic jumps, twists and tricks on the inside of a half-cylinder-shaped snow tube or ramp while moving from one side of the half pipe to the other. The riders are judged on the height and style of their tricks.
In the parallel giant slalom, two snowboarders race head-to-head down a course, turning through a series of gates. The fastest goes on to the next round. The top finishers compete in a total of nine runs.
In snowboard cross, four racers start in a pack down a course, racing against each other over rolling terrain and a series of jumps and ramps. The fastest two racers from each heat move on to the next round.

5. Biathlon

The skiing portion of the biathlon requires fast and physically demanding cross-country free technique racing, while the rifle shooting requires accuracy and control.

When the athletes ski into the shooting range, they must put down their ski poles and take five shots at a metal target located 50 metres away. Each target has five plates, fixed in a straight row, which the athlete must hit. The hit area size changes depending on whether the athlete is shooting in a prone or standing position. When in a prone position, the hit area is the size of a golf ball (45 mm); standing, it’s the size of a large grapefruit (115 mm). A top athlete usually takes 20 to 25 seconds to aim and shoot five bullets. Missing a target plate can be costly: depending on the event, a missed shot means either one minute of added time or skiing a 150-metre penalty loop.

There are five different sections to the biathlon, they are; individual start, sprint, pursuit, relay and mass start.

6. Bobsleigh

Today’s bobsleigh is built to be fast and aerodynamic, with a rounded fibreglass nose and four highly polished steel runners. To start, the racers push off as fast as they can for approximately 50 metres, then jump into the bobsleigh for a seated descent down the track. The driver steers down the track, while, at the end of the run, the brakeman stops the sled.

There are three Olympic bobsleigh events: the men compete in two-and four-man bobsleigh and women in a two-person format.

In all Olympic Games events, four heats are held over two days, with medals being awarded to the team with the lowest combined time, measured to 0.01 of a second.

7. Cross Country

Racers use two basic techniques in cross-country skiing: classic technique, where the skis move parallel to each other through machine-groomed tracks in the snow, and free technique, where skiers propel themselves in a manner similar to speed skating, pushing off with the edge of their skis. Free technique uses shorter skis and is slightly faster than classic — on average about eight per cent faster over an entire race distance.

In Olympic cross-country skiing, women compete in individual sprint, team sprint, 10 km individual start, 15 km pursuit, 30 km mass start and the 4 x 5-km relay. Men compete in individual sprint, team sprint, 15 km individual start, 30 km pursuit, 50 km mass start and the 4 x 10 km relay. The technique used (classic versus free) in the 10 and 15 km individual start, individual sprint, team sprint and mass start alternates with each cycle of Olympic Games.

There are different sections to Cross Country, they are; Individual Start, Mass Start, Pursuit, Individual Sprint, Team Sprint and Relay.

8. Curling

At the Olympic Winter Games, curling consists of two events: a women’s tournament and a men’s tournament. Each tournament starts with 10 curling teams. Two teams play against each other at a time. The game is played on ice, and the two teams take turns pushing 19.1-kilogram stones towards a series of concentric rings or circles. The object is to get the stones as close to the centre of the rings as possible.

One game consists of 10 ‘ends’. During each end, each four-person team “slides” (in fact, slides along the ice) eight stones, two stones per person and 16 altogether. Team members sweep the ice clean in front of each stone to control the stone’s direction, known as its curl, and the stone’s speed. The team with the most stones closer to the centre of the rings, at the end of the 10 ends, is the winner.

9. Figure Skating

At the Olympic Games, figure skating’s four disciplines are adjudicated by a separate panel of 9 International Skating Union (ISU) championship judges using a computer scoring system to measure the quality of each performance. Before each event, there is a secret and random draw to determine which judges’ scores will form the result of the segment. Only seven of the 9 scores are used. A new draw is done for each segment.

Singles

In singles skating, skaters must complete both a short program of required steps, jumps, spins and combinations, and a longer free skating program, both set to music. The free skate allows the athletes to demonstrate their creativity, innovative moves and technical difficulty.

Pairs

The pairs event follows the same format as the singles, with a compulsory short program and a free skate. In this event, however, one male and one female skater work in unison, incorporating lifts, throws and synchronized jumps, spins and spirals linked harmoniously by steps and other movements.

Ice Dance

Ice dance is performed by a couple and is based on their rhythm, interpretation of music and precise steps. Unlike pairs skating, ice dance does not include overhead lifts and jumps. Ice dance is similar to ballroom dancing, as the skaters remain in contact throughout most of the program.

10. Freestyle Skiing

There are three Olympic freestyle skiing events for both men and women. Tricks in freestyle skiing include the twister, spread-eagle, iron cross, and the helicopter — an upright 360-degree spin.

Aerials

Athletes are judged on the quality of take off, height gained, form and body position, and how they maintain balance upon landing. All competitors complete two jumps in a qualification round.

Moguls

Athletes choose which of the three to four different lines they will ski down on the mogul course. After the start signal, they ski down a steep slope and over a series of offset large bumps (moguls) as high as 1.2 metres, spaced between three to four metres apart. There are two sets of ‘air bumps’, one near the top of the course, the other near the bottom, where the skiers are required to perform two different jumps of their own choice.

Ski Cross

The ski cross course, designed to test skiers’ skills, incorporates 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. Structures on the course resemble those found in snowboard cross events. Physical endurance and strength play a key role in ski cross as athletes ski four to five runs lasting 60 seconds or longer.

11. Ice Hockey

During the Olympic Winter Games, eight women’s teams and 12 men’s teams compete in round-robin tournaments. Top seeded teams from round robin play advance to the playoff rounds.

A team must not have more than six players on the ice while play is in progress. The object is for one team to get the puck (a hard black rubber disc) past the other team’s goaltender and into the net, similar to soccer.

A regular game consists of three 20-minute periods, with a 15-minute intermission after the first and second periods. If a tie occurs in a game in which a winner must be determined, a sudden-victory overtime period is played.

12. Nordic Combined

The Nordic Combined Event specialises in cross-country skiing, demanding endurance and strength, and ski jumping, requiring physical strength and technical control. The jumping portion occurs first followed by a free technique cross-country race. The break between the jumping and the cross-country race can be as little as 35 minutes, or as long as a few hours.

13. Short Track

Short track speed skating takes place on a 111.12-metre oval track within a hockey rink. Tight corners make it difficult for skaters to maintain control. A board less padding system is now used replacing the stand-alone board system. This ensures an increased safety for the athletes.

Short track speed skaters compete against each other, rather than the clock. The competition consists of a series of heats with four or six athletes. The first two athletes in each heat advance to the next round until only four skaters remain for the final.

There are various competition events for short track, they are as follows; Ladies’ 500 m, Men’s 1,000 m, Ladies’ 1,000 m, Men’s 1,500 m, Ladies’ 1,500 m, Ladies’ 3,000 m Relay and Men’s 5,000 m Relay.

14. Skeleton

Skeleton got its name from the sled used — originally metal, now fibre glass and metal — as it resembles a human skeleton. To start, a skeleton slider grasps the handles on either side of the sled, runs as fast as possible for approximately 50 metres, and then dives head first onto the sled. Sliders lie on their stomachs and steer by shifting their bodies very slightly.

There are two individual skeleton events in the Olympic Games: one for men and one for women. Both events consist of four heats held over two days, timed electronically to 0.01 seconds. The individual with the lowest combined time wins.

15. Ski Jumping

An athlete skis down a long ramp, referred to as the in-run, and launches into the air at speeds of up to 95 kilometres per hour. Technique is integral to ski jumping as athletes must perform a very precise and well-timed takeoff. Once in the air, jumpers assume the V-style and adjust their position to maximize lift and minimize drag. Competitors are evaluated on distance and style and while there is a very close relationship between the two, the skier with the longest jump will often have the highest style points. An exception to this can be found in the landing portion of the jump as long jumps can make landing in a controlled telemark position more difficult. The quality of landing can be a determining factor in deciding the finishing place when the distances are similar.

There are different competitions in ski jumping, they are; the team event and men’s normal and large hill individual.

The Paralympic games

1. Alpine Skiing

Alpine skiing events for men and women are downhill, slalom, giant slalom, super combined and super G. The invention of the mono-ski – a seat fixed on single ski – opened the sport to athletes who could not stand to ski. Mono-skis are equipped with short outriggers (forearm crutches with shortened skis attached at the base for balance and steering).

Downhill

The downhill features the longest course and the highest speeds in alpine skiing. Each skier makes a single run down a single course and the fastest time determines the winner.

Slalom

The slalom features the shortest course and the quickest turns. As in the giant slalom, each skier makes two runs down two different courses on the same slope. Both runs take place on the same day. The times are added together and the fastest total time determines the winner.

Giant slalom

Giant slalom is similar to the slalom, with fewer, but wider and smoother turns. Each skier makes two runs down two different courses on the same slope. Both runs take place on the same day, usually with the first run held in the morning and the second run in the afternoon. The times are added together, and the fastest total time determines the winner.

Super Combined

The combined event consists of one downhill followed by two slalom runs, using a shorter course. The times are added together and the fastest total time determines the winner.

Super-G

Super-G (for super giant slalom) combines the speed of downhill with the more precise turns of giant slalom. The course is shorter than downhill, but longer than a giant slalom course. Each skier makes one run down a single course and the fastest time determines the winner.

If you would like more information to be a skier, helper or instructor then contact Disability Snowsport UK on 01479 861 272 or email admin@disabilitysnowsport.org.uk

2. Biathlon

Biathlon combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting similar to the Olympic biathlon competitions. Paralympic athletes, however, always shoot in a prone position.

In the short distance biathlon, skiers race a 2.5-kilometre loop three times stopping twice at the shooting range where they take five shots at a metal target 10 metres away. Each target has five plates, fixed in a straight row, which the athlete must hit the middle (bull’s eye) of. The bull’s eye is 15 mm in diameter and if a competitor misses a plate, they must ski a 150 m penalty loop for each missed shot. Visually impaired skiers use an acoustic system for shooting that uses differing tones as the rifle is aimed toward the bull’s eye.

In long-distance biathlon, competitors ski the loop five times and stop four times at the shooting range. Missing a target plate can be costly: for every miss, a competitor receives a one minute time penalty that is added to their overall skiing time.

3. Ice Sledge Hockey

Ice Sledge Hockey follows all the International Ice Hockey Federation rules, with a few small modifications.

Instead of standing on skates, players sit on aluminium or steel sledges fitted with two blades. They grip two double-ended sticks, one in each hand. One end of the stick has a sharp pick that the players use to propel the sledge, the other has a curved blade to pass and shoot the puck.

Eight Ice Sledge Hockey teams compete in round-robin tournaments, and top seeded teams from round robin play advance to the playoff rounds. A team must not have more than six players on the ice while play is in progress. The object is for one team to get the puck (a hard black rubber disc) past the other team’s goaltender and into the goal.

A regular game consists of three 15-minute periods.

Gillingham Winter Sports Community Foundation (GWSCF)

A new foundation has been set up to enable Gillingham Winter Sports Community Foundation (GWSCF) to act as a vehicle to run the Sledge Hockey at Gillingham Ice Rink and hopefully as a vehicle to support all community sport running out of the ice rink (including the Dynamos).

It is hoped that all groups who use the ice rink will become involved and receive support from GWSCF and that these groups will choose to become members of the GWSCF.

Please view for more information

Sledge Hockey

For national information on Sledge Hockey - a winter Paralympic Games sport, go to ; www.sledgehockey.co.uk

Ice Hockey

The Werewolves team for people with learning disabilities meet alternate Saturdays, at Streatham Ice Rink, in south London

Tel ;- 020 8644 1998

Website : www.werewolvesoflondon.org.uk

 

4. Wheelchair Curling

Wheelchair curling consists of a single tournament, with each team comprised of both male and female athletes.
Two teams play against each other, taking turns pushing 19.1 kilogram stones down a sheet of ice towards a series of concentric rings or circles. The object is to get the stones as close to the centre of the rings as possible.

A game consists of eight 'ends' (similar to innings in baseball). During each end, each four-person team 'throws' (in fact, slides along the ice) eight stones – two stones per person and 16 all together. The stones must be thrown while the player’s wheelchair is stationary. Players may use their hands to throw the stone or an extender cue that can be attached to the handle of the stone to push it along the ice. The absence of sweeping – the main difference from Olympic curling – makes the strategy and finesse of each throw all the more important.

The team with the most points – with more stones closer to the centre of the rings – at the conclusion of eight ends, is the winner.

5. Cross Country Skiing

Racers use two basic techniques in cross-country: classical, where the skis move parallel to each other through machine-groomed tracks in the snow, and free technique where skiers propel themselves in a manner similar to speed skating, pushing off with the edge of their skis.

Free technique uses shorter skis and is slightly faster than classical – on average about 8% faster over an entire race distance. Sit-skiers are unable to alter their technique and use their arms and poles to propel themselves along the parallel tracks in which the skis from their sledges sit.

Paralympic cross-country skiers compete in men’s and women’s individual events over short, middle and long distances ranging from 2.5 kilometres to 20 kilometres.