084 SPORT
www.indexdigital.co.uk
SNOW & ICE
South Korea hosts the XXIII Olympic Winter Games this month. Here’s our guide to the sports involved, the teams to watch…and some local Team GB hopefuls
David Leck Jason Dodd Photography; Harry Foskett; Sam Mellish
Guide to Winter Olympic Sports
ALPINE SKIING debuted at the 1936 Winter Olympics. Four years later the giant slalom was added and in 1988 the super giant slalom became a fourth, separate event. • Watch out for: Norway, Austria and Germany.
BIATHLON. The word biathlon comes from the Greek for two contests. Biathlon has its roots in survival skills practised in the snow-covered forests of Scandinavia. • Watch out for: France, Norway, Slovenia and Germany.
BOBSLEIGH wasn’t around until the late 19th century when the Swiss attached two skeleton sleds together. A chassis was later included and the world’s first bobsleigh club was founded in St Moritz in 1897. • Watch out for: Canada, Germany and the United States.
CROSS COUNTRY SKIING. For centuries in the snow-covered north, skis were required to chase game and gather firewood. With long distances between isolated communities, skiing was important as a means of retaining social contact. • Watch out for: Norway, Russia and Sweden.
CURLING is a sport played by two teams of four on a rectangular sheet of ice. Its
nickname, ‘The Roaring Game’, originates from the rumbling sound the 19kg granite stones make travelling across ice. • Watch out for: Canada, Switzerland, Russia…and the Scottish members of Team GB.
FIGURE SKATING has developed from a practical way to get
around on ice into an elegant mix of art and sport. It is now the oldest sport on the winter programme. • Watch out for: Japan, Spain, Russia and Canada.
FREESTYLE SKIING combines speed, showmanship and the ability to perform aerial manoeuvres. It debuted as a demonstration sport in 1988. • Watch out for: United States, Great Britain and Canada.
ICE HOCKEY is a fast, fluid and exciting team sport that – thanks to its drama and tension – draws big crowds. Six-a-side men’s ice hockey has been in every Winter Olympics since 1924. • Watch out for: Canada, Russia and Sweden.
LUGE riders hurtle down a slippery ice track at great speed, relying on reflexes for steering. Unlike bobsleigh, however, they have no protection should they make an error! • Watch out for: Russia, Germany and Austria.
NORDIC COMBINED. This sport, which has a long Olympic history, combines ski jumping and cross country skiing. Individual events have featured in every games since 1924. • Watch out for: Norway, Germany and France.
SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING. In short track speed skating, athletes compete not against the clock, but against each other. This introduces elements of strategy, skill and bravery. • Watch out for: Korea, Canada and The Netherlands.
SKELETON racing involves plummeting head-first down a steep and treacherous ice track on a tiny sled. • Watch out for: Canada, Germany and Switzerland.
SKI JUMPING. Over the past 100 years, ski jumping has evolved with different techniques allowing participants to achieve ever greater distances. • Watch out for: Germany, Austria and Norway.
SNOWBOARD. Snowboarding combines elements of surfing, skateboarding and skiing. It made its Olympic debut in 1998. • Watch out for: Canada, Denmark and Norway.
SPEED SKATING began as a rapid form of transportation across frozen lakes and rivers. It made its debut at the 1924 games. • Watch out for: Korea, Canada, Italy and China.
• For further details on all these sports, visit
www.olympic.org/ sports. The 2018 Olympic Winter Games run from 9th-25th February (
www.olympic.org/pyeongchang-2018). The 2018 Winter Paralympics are staged from 9th-18th March (
www.paralympic.org).
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116
