The rule is one sentence long: get from the start wand to the finish beam faster than everyone else, passing correctly through every gate on the way. Everything else in the FIS International Competition Rules exists to make that contest fair and survivable — how far apart the gates may be, how long and how sharply curved the skis may be, how permeable the race suit must be, how the start order is drawn, and what
Alpine racing is contested in four disciplines, separated by the vertical drop of the course, the spacing between gates and therefore the speed. Slalom and giant slalom are the technical events and are decided over two runs on the same day, with the times added together.
Pick two names from this sport’s all-time list. The larger number in each shared stat is highlighted.
| Stat | Mikaela Shiffrin | Ingemar Stenmark |
|---|
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All points done. Next: Open the topic: Ski Racing
The rule is one sentence long: get from the start wand to the finish beam faster than everyone else, passing correctly through every gate on the way. Everything else in the FIS International Competition Rules exists to make that contest fair and survivable — how far apart the gates may be, how long and how sharply curved the skis may be, how permeable the race suit must be, how the start order is drawn, and what
Alpine racing is contested in four disciplines, separated by the vertical drop of the course, the spacing between gates and therefore the speed. Slalom and giant slalom are the technical events and are decided over two runs on the same day, with the times added together.
The shortest and most technical discipline, run over a vertical drop of roughly 180 to 220 metres for men and 140 to 200 for women. The number of direction changes is set at 30 to 35 percent of the vertical drop in metres, producing courses of about 55 to 75 gates that a racer clears in 50 to 60 seconds.
The discipline most coaches consider the purest test of technique, run over 300 to 450 metres of vertical drop with direction changes set at 11 to 15 percent of that drop — typically 45 to 65 gates, each marked by two panels. Turns are long and loaded, generating forces of several times body weight through the outside ski.
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