A multi-sport event is an organized sporting event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports among organized teams of athletes from (mostly) nation-states . The first major, modern, multi-sport event of international significance was the Olympic Games , first held in modern times in 1896 in Athens, Greece , and inspired by the Ancient Olympic Games , one of a number of such events held in antiquity. Most modern multi-sport events have the same basic structure. Games are held over the course of several days in and around a "host city", which changes for each competition. Countries send national teams to each competition, consisting of individual athletes and teams that compete in a wide variety of sports. Athletes or teams are awarded gold , silver or bronze medals for first, second and third place respectively. Each game is generally held every four years, though some are annual competitions.
50-594: The Mediterranean Beach Games is a multi-sport event organized by the International Committee of Mediterranean Games (CIJM) since 2015. The CIJM formed the games in a meeting on October 20, 2012 in Mersin , Turkey , and decided on a format of every 4 years starting from 2015. The Games consist only water sports and beach sports, which aim at bringing together young athletes of the Mediterranean area, giving them
100-412: A Relay for both men and women. The World Cup is organized every even year. Junior World Ski Orienteering Championships and World Masters Ski Orienteering Championships are organized annually. Biathlon combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting . Depending on the shooting performance, extra distance or time is added to the contestant's total running distance/time. For each shooting round,
150-517: A prologue of 15 km and La Sgambeda of 24 km: The Worldloppet Ski Federation recognizes twenty ski marathons including those in the Ski Classics series (except La Diagonala and Årefjällslopet). They recognize those athletes who complete Worldloppet races in 10 countries, at least one of which has to be on another continent, to qualify as a "Worldloppet Master". The organization, sanctioned by FIS, seeks to attract elite racers to its events with
200-507: A public ski competition was for an 1843 event in Tromsø . The announcement called the event a "wagering race on skis". A distinct alpine technique emerged around 1900 from how skiing was practiced up until then when Mathias Zdarsky advocated the "Lilienfelder Ski Method" as an alternative to the Norwegian technique. In Norwegian, langrenn refers to "competitive skiing where the goal is to complete
250-475: A seasonal schedule designed for the targeted events: marathon or mid-distance. Additional aspects of training address aerobic (low-intensity) exercise—especially for endurance—and strength to improve joint flexibility and to minimize the risk of injury. Cross-country ski training occurs throughout the year, including on dry land where athletes engage in roller skiing and ski striding to maintain ski-specific muscle fitness. In its "Organizing committee handbook",
300-630: A selected group of athletes, rather than everybody, which was the case with the Olympic Games. The Soviets organized the first Spartakiad in 1920, a communist alternative to the 'bourgeois' Olympic Games, and in 1922 the University Olympia was organizedor in Italy , the forerunner of the World University Games , meant for students only. Regional games were another kind of multi-sport event that
350-716: A specific distance in pre-set tracks in the shortest possible time". Alpine skiing competitions (known as hill races ) existed in Norway during the 18th and 19th centuries, but were discontinued when the main ski festival in Oslo focused on long races (competitive cross-country skiing) and ski jumping (now known as the Nordic disciplines). The alpine disciplines reemerged in Central Europe around 1920. Ski touring competitions ( Norwegian : turrenn ) are long-distance cross-country competitions open to
400-516: A strategy for developing promising athletes and programs to encourage participation in the sport, starting at a young age. One example is Cross-Country Ski Canada's "Long-Term Athlete Development" program. The program encompasses youth development, training, introduction to competition and improvement of promising athletes with an emphasis on "stamina (endurance), strength, speed, skill and suppleness (flexibility)". It covers age groups from toddlers to mature adults, who are able to enjoy and participate in
450-715: A variety of race formats and course lengths. Rules of cross-country skiing are sanctioned by the International Ski Federation and by various national organizations. International competitions include the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships , the FIS Cross-Country World Cup , and at the Winter Olympic Games . Such races occur over homologated , groomed courses designed to support classic (in-track) and freestyle events, where
500-438: Is grooming the course to provide a surface for skate-skiing and setting tracks for classic events. This takes into account snow physics, methods for packing snow and surface shaping, and the equipment used for these functions. Also key is the layout of grooming and track setting in the stadium with various formats for starts, finishes and intermediate functions for relays and pursuits. In its "Cross-country homologation manual",
550-412: Is likened to paddling or dancing, depending on the tempo. The primary turns used for racing, are the parallel turn , which is used while descending and can provide braking, and the step turn, which is used for maintaining speed during descents or out of track on flats. The wedge turn (or "snowplow turn"), is sometimes used for braking and turning. Countries with cross-country ski teams usually have
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#1732844282598600-455: Is useful on level ground and on gentle downhill slopes. On steep uphills fishbone technique can be used. While skate skiing, the skier provides propulsion on a firm snow surface by pushing alternating skis away from one another at an angle, in a manner similar to ice skating . Skis are waxed with a glide wax over their entire length, making them faster than classic skis. Freestyle events take place on smooth, wide, specially groomed courses. With
650-446: Is usually open to the public. In Norwegian, such a race is called turrenn ("ski touring race"). Major events have more than 10,000 participants where mass starts often have a modified starting order by groupings of participants—who have been judged to be of similar ability, beginning with the elite skiers group and ending with a group of the least experienced skiers. Skiers can use either classic or skate-skiing techniques, depending on
700-611: The 1924 Winter Olympics , was held in Chamonix , France and included Nordic skiing (which includes cross-country skiing ) among the five principal disciplines. Cross-country events have evolved in the Winter Olympics since 1924, as seen in the following timeline: At the 2022 Olympics in Beijing , cross-country skiing will feature events in both classic cross-country and skate skiing (also called free technique). The two styles alternate at
750-589: The Black Forest in 1900, the Norwegian Bjarne Nilssen won the 23 km cross-country race and was observed using a skating motion while skiing—a technique unknown to the spectators. Johan Grøttumsbråten used the skating technique at the 1931 World Championship in Oberhof , one of the earliest recorded use of skating in competitive cross-country skiing. This technique was later used in ski orienteering in
800-643: The International Paralympic Committee (IPC). Arranged for the first time in 1960 in Rome , Italy . The number of sports, initially only a few, is still growing. The first Special Olympics International Summer Games were held in Chicago , Illinois, in 1968. The most recent Special Olympics World Winter Games in Schladming, Austria involved 25 sports and approximately 2,277 athletes from 133 countries. At
850-678: The Women's World Games and Olympics of Grace were held to allow women to engage in sport on the international stage. Though short-lived, events such as these led to greater inclusion of women at multi-sport events over the course of the 20th century. Although the modern tradition commemorates the 1921 revolution , the Naadam festival in Mongolia is a continuation of ancient sporting practises amongst Mongolians. The three events of wrestling, horse racing and archery are thought to date back centuries and represent
900-846: The classical era : Other multi-sport festivals emerged in the Middle Ages in Europe, including the Cotswold Olimpick Games in England in the 1600s, the Highland Games in Scotland , and the Olympiade de la République in France in the 1800s. In the late 19th and early 20th century, athletes at multi-sport events were almost exclusively male. As international women's sport began to develop, events such as
950-1079: The 18th century. Starting in the latter part of the 20th century, technique evolved from the striding in-track classic technique to include skate-skiing, which occurs on courses that have been groomed with wide lanes for those using the technique. At the same time, equipment evolved from skis and poles that were made of wood and other natural materials to comprising such man-made materials as fiberglass , carbon fiber , and polyethylene plastics . Athletes train to achieve endurance, strength, speed, skill and flexibility at different levels of intensity. Off-season training often occurs on dry land, sometimes on roller skis . The organization of cross-country ski competitions aims to make those events accessible both to spectators and television audiences. As with other sports that require endurance, strength and speed, some athletes have chosen to use banned performance-enhancing drugs . In 1767 Danish-Norwegian general, Schack Carl Rantzau , codified four classes of military skiing contests and established prizes for each: An early record of
1000-444: The 1960s on roads and other firm surfaces. Finnish skier Pauli Siitonen developed a variant of the style for marathon or other endurance events in the 1970s by leaving one ski in the track while skating outwards to the side with the other ski (one-sided skating); this became known as the "marathon skate". American skier Bill Koch further developed the marathon skate technique in the late 1970s. Skate skiing became widespread during
1050-416: The 1980s after Koch's success with it in the 1982 Cross-country Skiing Championships drew more attention to the technique. Norwegian skier, Ove Aunli , started using the technique in 1984, when he found it to be much faster than classic style. Skating is most effective on wide, smooth, groomed trails, using fiberglass skis that glide well; it also benefits a stronger athlete—which, according to Olav Bø, are
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#17328442825981100-485: The 2001 World Nordic skiing championships in Lahti, Finland revealed that Jari Isometsä , Janne Immonen and two other skiers from Finland's gold-medal relay team, Mika Myllylä and Harri Kirvesniemi , and two female skiers tested positive for hydroxyethyl starch (HES), a blood plasma expander usually used to cover up the use of erythropoietin (EPO). EPO boosts the oxygen-carrying capability of hemoglobin . In addition,
1150-514: The 2019 games, and in October, 2021, Heraklion, Greece signed a contract to host the 2023 games. Multi-sport event The Ancient Olympic Games , first held in 776 BC, was the precursor to the Modern Olympic Games , although its first edition only featured a footrace and the number of sporting competitions expanded at later editions. There were several other "games" held in Europe in
1200-558: The FIS Worldloppet Cup and aims thereby to "increase media and spectator interest in long distance racing". Notable races, other than the Ski Classics series include: Ski orienteering is an orienteering discipline recognized by the International Orienteering Federation . The World Ski Orienteering Championships is organized every odd year and includes sprint, middle and long distance competitions, and
1250-504: The FIS covers aspects of race management, including the layout of the competition venue, organization of the events (including scheduling, officiating, and awards), and addressing ancillary factors, such as the role of the media. National handbooks, such as the "USSA Cross-Country Technical Handbook" and the "Cross Country Canada officials manual", provide further guidance, sometimes specific to their venues. An important aspect of race preparation
1300-416: The FIS recognizes that fans of the sport wish to follow it on television. With this in mind, the manual addresses how to design the race course and the stadium in a manner that not only enhances the experience of spectators, but of viewers, as well—not just to show the athletes in action, but to show the ways in which fans enjoy the action. The manual includes considerations of: A course is expected to test
1350-574: The Olympic Games, organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) (est. 1894) for the first time in 1896 in Athens , Greece . After some celebrations (1900, 1904), the Olympics became very popular nowadays. The number of sports, initially only a few, is still growing. The Paralympic Games is the largest multi-sport event involving athletes with physical disabilities and is organized by
1400-497: The World Championships were held annually, including years with Winter Olympic Games . After World War II, the World Championships were held every four years from 1950 to 1982. Since 1985, the World Championships have been held in odd-numbered years. FIS events include: A ski marathon is a long-distance, usually point-to-point race, of more than 40 kilometers; some are held concurrent with shorter races and participation
1450-579: The beginning of the 20th century, another multi-sport event, the Nordic Games were first held. These Games were held in Scandinavia , and the sports conducted were winter sports such as cross-country skiing and speed skating . The Nordic Games were last held in 1926, after which the 1924 Winter Sports Week in Chamonix was declared the first Olympic Winter Games . In the 1920s, all kinds of other multi-sport events were set up. These were usually directed for
1500-492: The biathlete must hit five targets; the skier receives a penalty for each missed target, which varies according to the competition rules; in any given competition one of the following penalties would apply: Paralympic cross-country skiing is an adaptation of cross-country skiing for athletes with disabilities. Paralympic cross-country skiing is one of two Nordic skiing disciplines in the Winter Paralympic Games ;
1550-446: The case of classic skis, traction when striding forward. Racing ski boots are also lighter than recreational ones and are attached at the toe only to bindings that are specialized for classic or skate skiing. Racing ski poles are usually made from carbon fiber and feature smaller, lighter baskets than recreational poles . Poles designed for skating are longer than those designed for classic skiing. In classic cross-country skiing
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1600-519: The event: classic and skating (in freestyle races, where all techniques are allowed). Skiathlon combines the two techniques in one race. Skis are lighter, narrower and designed to be faster than those used in recreational cross-country skiing and made of composite materials . For classic events, typical ski lengths are between 195 and 210 centimetres, while ski lengths for skating are 170 to 200 cm. Skis for skating are also more rigid than skis for classical. Skis are waxed for speed and, in
1650-536: The first Games for deaf athletes. The Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Games , incepted in 1948 in England, were the first Games for wheelchair athletes. In 1960, the first Paralympic Games were held, connected with the Olympic Games . The Special Olympics World Games , for athletes with intellectual disabilities, were first held in 1968. Cross-country skiing (sport) Competitive cross-country skiing encompasses
1700-549: The grooming surface on the race course. Such snow tends to be denser and icier than natural snow, which increases the speed of skiers, especially on downhills. With the increase of speed and a harder surface, comes the increased risk of injuries from falls. The FIS claims to be compiling data on the comparative frequency and severity of falls, but wasn't sharing the information, as of January 2022. As with other sports, some competitors in cross-country skiing have chosen to enhance their performance through doping . Anti-doping tests at
1750-466: The major events (Olympic Games, World Championships). For example, at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, the 15 km men's individual race was a skate skiing event. Therefore, at the 2022 Olympics, this event will be skied in classic style. The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships have been held in various numbers and types of events since 1925 for men and since 1954 for women. From 1924 to 1939,
1800-542: The opportunity to participate in sport events. Pescara , Italy was awarded the rights to host the first edition of the Mediterranean Beach Games from 28 August to 6 September. The sports included in the program of the 1st Mediterranean Beach Games are the following: Aquathlon , Beach Handball, Beach Soccer, Beach Tennis, Beach Volley, Beach Wrestling, Finswimming , Canoe Ocean Racing, Open Water Swimming, Rowing Beach Sprint, Water Ski. Patras, Greece hosted
1850-648: The other is biathlon . Competition is governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). Paralympic cross-country skiing includes standing events, sitting events (for wheelchair users), and events for visually impaired athletes under the rules of the International Paralympic Committee. These are divided into several categories for people who are missing limbs, have amputations, are blind, or have any other physical disability, to continue their sport. The classifications are for: Cross-country ski competitors employ one of two techniques, according to
1900-507: The pole pushing on the side opposite of the extended, sliding ski. In classic skiing the alternating technique is used for the "diagonal stride"—the predominant classic sub-technique. In diagonal-stride legs move like in ordinary walking, but with longer and more powerful steps. Diagonal is useful on level ground and on gentle uphill slopes. Uphill steps are shorter and more frequent. With double-poling both poles are used simultaneously for thrust, which may be augmented with striding. Double-poling
1950-424: The public, competition is usually within age categories. In the 1800s racers used a single, wooden pole, which was longer and stronger than modern poles, and could be used for braking downhill, as well. In Norway, racing with two poles ("Finland style") met with resistance, starting in the 1880s, when some race rules forbade them; objections included issues of aesthetics—how they made skiers "[waddle] like geese". As
2000-524: The reasons that the technique made a breakthrough in the early 1980s. Athletes widely adopted skating to both sides by the time of the 1985 world championship and it was formally adopted by the FIS in 1986 —despite initial opposition from Norway , the Soviet Union and Finland —while preserving events using only classic technique. The Winter Olympic Games are a major international sporting event that occurs once every four years. The first Winter Olympics,
2050-611: The rules of the race. Awards are usually based on overall placement, placement by sex of athlete, and by age category. There are two major series in this category, the Ski Classics and the Worldloppet . Ski Classics is a commercially sponsored international long-distance cross-country skiing cup competition, held in Europe. It originated in January 2011. As of the winter of 2015–6, the tour consisted of eight long-distance events, preceded by
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2100-491: The skating technique double-poling is usually employed with alternating skating strides or with every skate stride. The following table puts these poling sequences into order according to the speed achieved as a progression of "gears". In the lowest gear (rarely used in racing), one is poling on the side of the sliding ski, similar to diagonal stride. In the highest gear, the athlete skates without poles. There are equivalent terms in other languages; for example in Norwegian, skating
2150-405: The skier's technical and physical abilities, to be laid out in a manner that takes advantage of the natural terrain, and to provide smooth transitions among uphills, downhills and "undulating" terrain—distributed approximately evenly among the three. The manual advocates that courses present a variety of uphills, varying in lengths and gradients between 6% and 12%, which are arrayed efficiently within
2200-646: The skiers may employ skate skiing . It also encompasses cross-country ski marathon events, sanctioned by the Worldloppet Ski Federation , and cross-country ski orienteering events, sanctioned by the International Orienteering Federation . Related forms of competition are biathlon , where competitors race on cross-country skis and stop to shoot at targets with rifles, and paralympic cross-country skiing that allows athletes with disabilities to compete at cross-country skiing with adaptive equipment. Norwegian army units were skiing for sport (and prizes) in
2250-555: The skis remain parallel, as the skier strides straight ahead. The undersides of the skis have a grip section in the middle treated with a special ski wax that provides friction when the foot is still, yet glides when the foot is in motion, while the rest of the ski bottom has a glide wax . Classic events occur on courses with tracks set by a grooming machine at precise intervals and with carefully planned curvature. Both poles may be used simultaneously ("double-poling") or with alternating foot and arm extended (as with running or walking) with
2300-649: The sport. Similarly, the USSA has an outline of "Cross Country Athlete Competencies" that has four phases beginning at 12 years old and under and addressing the 21 and older phase at the top. The program encompasses six "domains:" Ski training for the athlete depends on whether the desired specialty emphasizes endurance (marathon) or intensity (mid-distance events). The "intensity" theory of ski training uses stress to break down muscles and recovery to build them up stronger than before. In this theory, there are five levels of intensity for training: Athletes train for each level on
2350-409: The three most important pursuits of a strong man in nomadic society. Alongside these sporting events there are other cultural activities such as dances and parades. Since the establishment of the Olympics, most serial multi-sport events have been organized for specific audiences and participating countries or communities. These affiliations include: The first modern multi-sport event organised were
2400-453: The use of pairs of pole became the norm, materials favored lightness and strength, starting with bamboo , which gave way to fiberglass, used at the 1968 Winter Olympics , aluminum , used at the 1972 Winter Olympics , and ultimately carbon fiber, introduced in 1975. Skate skiing was introduced to competition in the 20th Century. At the first German ski championship, held at the Feldberg in
2450-472: The venue. It cites two types of stadium, the horseshoe (preferred for television) and the "ski in, ski out" layout. It emphasizes the importance of accommodating television coverage at the start, finish, and exchange zones for equipment or relays. In addition, television coverage requires a variety of facilities to support the activities of the press. Climate change is causing venues, accustomed to natural snow, to rely increasingly on man-made snow to provide
2500-728: Was established, such as the Far Eastern Championship Games (1913), the Central American and Caribbean Games (1926) or the Pan American Games (1951). The Olympic Games are still the largest multi-sport event in the world in terms of worldwide interest and importance (though no longer in participation), but several others also have significance. Other Games are intended for handicapped or disabled athletes. The International Silent Games , first held in Paris in 1924, were
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