OLYMPIC COMPETITION

The Cross-Country competition features 12 events, six for Men and six for Women:

Men's Events (6)
Men's 15 km + 15 km Skiathlon
Men's Sprint Free
Men's Team Sprint Classic
Men's 4 x 10 km Relay
Men's 15 km Classic
Men's 50 km Mass Start Free
Women's Events (6)
Women's 7.5 km + 7.5 km Skiathlon
Women's Sprint Free
Women's Team Sprint Classic
Women's 4 x 5 km Relay
Women's 10 km Classic
Women's 30 km Mass Start Free

Women's 10km Classic and Men's 15km Classic:
Athletes usually start individually at intervals of thirty (30) seconds. The athlete with the fastest individual time wins the race.

Women's 7.5km + 7.5km Skiathlon and Men's 15km + 15km Skiathlon:
Athletes start in a mass start lined up in rows with the best athletes starting in the first positions. Athletes use both techniques within the same race. During a pit stop at the stadium after half of the race distance has been completed, and while the clock is still running, athletes change equipment from the classic to free technique. The first athlete to cross the finish line wins the race.

Women's 30km Mass Start Free and Men's 50km Mass Start Free:
Athletes start in a mass start lined up in rows a with the best athletes starting in the first positions. The first athlete to cross the finish line wins the race.

Women's 4×5km Relay and Men's 4×10km Relay:
Teams start in a mass start. A team consists of four athletes, each of whom skis a leg of the race and then tags off to a teammate. The first team to cross the finish line wins the race.

Women's Sprint Free and Men's Sprint Free:
In qualification, the best 30 athletes are drawn in one group, while the others start according to their position in the FIS points list.
The Sprint event begins with individual time trials (qualifications) on the competition course usually with a fifteen (15) second interval start.

The fastest 30 athletes advance to the Quarterfinals consisting of five heats of six athletes each. The qualified athletes will be responsible for choosing their Quarterfinal heat. The athletes will choose according to the following order: 11th to 1st from the qualification round, followed by 12th to 30th from the qualification round.

The top two finishers in each Quarterfinal heat, and the two fastest athletes from the Quarterfinals that did not place first or second in their heat (lucky losers), advance to the two Semifinals of six athletes each. The top two finishers in each Semifinal heat, and the two fastest athletes from the Semifinals that did not place first or second in their heat (lucky losers), advance to the final of six athletes.

Women's Team Sprint Classic and Men's Team Sprint Classic:
Teams start in a mass start. A team consists of two athletes (A and B) who pass the relay to each other three times (A, B, A, B, A, B). The Semifinals consist of two heats. The top two teams in each Semifinal heat, and the six fastest teams from the Semifinals that did not
place first or second in their heat (lucky losers), advance to the Final. The Final consists of one heat of 10 teams.

Cross Country Skiing

About Cross Country Skiing

NZ Fast facts