| What is Cross Country Skiing? | | | | classic technique. |
| Cross country skiing is a winter sport where people | | | | - Pursuit: Skiers begin the race as in the mass start |
| slide across snow-covered areas using skis and poles. | | | | event. The race is a combination of classic technique |
| It is a popular sport in countries which have large flat | | | | and free techniques. Halfway through the race the |
| snowy areas such as: Northern Europe, Canada, | | | | skiers change over from classic style to free style, |
| Alaska and the northern Midwest United States. | | | | including a change in skis and poles |
| Cross country skiing is part of the Nordic skiing sport | | | | - Individual Sprint: using the classic technique, the |
| family, which includes ski jumping and a mix of cross | | | | event begins with a qualification round, where the |
| country skiing and ski jumping named Nordic | | | | top 30 skiers from the round qualify for the quarter |
| combined. | | | | finals. This process continues into semi-final, and A |
| To win the cross country skiing event, the athlete | | | | and B final rounds. The top two skiers from each |
| must complete the race in the least amount of time. | | | | round move upwards. The A final includes six athletes |
| Types of Cross Country Techniques in the Whistler | | | | competing for the gold medal. |
| Olympics | | | | - Team Sprint: A team is consists of two members |
| There are two cross country skiing techniques: | | | | who switch up skiing the sprint course, three laps |
| | | | each for a total of six laps, using the free technique. |
| 1. Classic technique - the skis are pushed side-by-side | | | | The semi-final round has 10-15 teams in each heat, |
| to each other through the snow | | | | the best five teams from two semi-finals qualify for |
| 2. Free technique - Skiers thrust themselves like in | | | | the final round. Skiers must show the correct |
| speed skating by pushing off with the edge of their | | | | exchange between laps by physically touching their |
| skis. Shorter skis are used and free technique is | | | | teammate without imposing on the other teams. |
| marginally faster than classic technique. | | | | - Relay: The team is composed of four members |
| Types of Cross Country Skiing Events in the Whistler | | | | who ski the first two relay legs the classic technique |
| Olympics | | | | and the last two relay legs the free technique. |
| The cross country skiing event in the Olympics has | | | | Beginning in a mass start form and the exchange in |
| both men and women competitions. There are | | | | this race is the same as the team sprint where |
| individual and team events and is the sport with the | | | | athletes must show the correct exchange between |
| most number of events and presents one of the | | | | laps by physically touching their teammate without |
| largest sources of Olympic medals. The winner of the | | | | imposing on the other teams. |
| race is the athlete who finishes the course in the | | | | Cross Country Skiing in the 2010 Whistler Olympics |
| least amount of time. Here is an explanation of each | | | | The cross country skiing event is scheduled to be in |
| type of competitive format: | | | | the 2010 Winter Olympics starting February 15th to |
| - Individual Start: The skier uses the free technique | | | | 28th, 2010. The competition will be held in the brand |
| and each person starts every 30 seconds. | | | | new Whistler Olympic Park in Callaghan Valley located |
| - Mass Start: All skiers start at the same time and line | | | | 18 kilometres southwest of Whistler on the Sea to |
| up in an arrow format. The best athletes are | | | | Sky highway. |
| positioned at the arrow's point. The skiing uses the | | | | |