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2-12 MARCH 2019
Countdown to winter universiade 2019
Cross-Country Skiing is a Winter Olympic sport in which the athlete uses skis to complete a certain distance in a minimum time. Ski races include men’s competitions and women’s events.
Pursuit is a competition where skiers use free style. The starting position of the skiers is governed by results of the previous races with staggered start of classic style.
Mass Start is a ski competition in which all athletes start the race at the same time and a distance of 15 km for women and 30 km for men.
Relay is a ski competition between the teams that consist of 4 athletes each. Ski relay includes 4 legs. Relay races can be held in one style (all participants complete their legs in classic or in free style) or in two styles (1st and 2nd legs participants run in classic style, and 3rd and 4th legs — in free style). The relay exchange is carried out by athlete’s palm touch of any part of the body of the starting athlete of the team while both athletes are in the relay exchange area. Sprint (individual and team)
Free style
The team consists of two athletes. During the race they exchange the relay in the end of each lap with a total of six laps completed by the team (three for each team member). The distance of one lap makes 1.5 km. During the relay exchange the skier is to touch the teammate and do not interfere with the process of relay exchange of other teams. First, two semi-finals are held. The best five teams from each semi-final go to the final. The winning team is the one athletes of which will be the first to cross the finish line.
First, there is a qualifying round during which athletes start with a 15-second interval and complete the distance of one lap (1.5 km for women and men). Best 30 athletes go to the quarter-finals. Starting from this stage, skiers start the race from the mass start — six people in each race. 12 athletes - best two in each quarter-final as well as two best skiers from the rest - go to the semi-finals. The Final A selection is similar to the previous one: six best athletes go to the Final A They compete for the medals. The winner is the one who crossed the finish line first. In addition, there is also Final B in which athletes compete for 6th - 12th places.
Ski races were initially held in the Scandinavian countries in the second half of the eighteenth century; the first official ski championship took place in 1767 in Norway. In the late nineteenth - early twentieth century cross-country skiing began its widespread development in many countries.
The first ski club n Russia was organized in December 1895. It was called Moscow Skiers Club.
Russian soldiers used skis during the wars with the foreign enemies. The Legendary Yermak Timofeyevich used skis in his conquests.
The Russian cross-country championship is organized on a regular basis since 1910. The title of the first national champion was won by Moscovite Pavel Bychkov.
The International Ski Federation (FIS) was founded in 1924. This organization unites national ski federations.
