As a sport, biathlon combines cross county skiing and rifle shooing
INDIVIDUAL
Course Length : M-20km, F-15km
Start : Interval start - one minute or 30 seconds.
Shooting : 5 shots per bout, four bouts in total
Penalty : 1 minute per missed shot
This is the traditional Biathlon competition, which was established before the invention of the mechanical target, with which hits and misses can be seen from the firing point. With the advancement in technology today, the misses can be seen on a shot-to-shot basis. Shooting is more important in the Individual competition, as it imposes a one-minute penalty per miss; the other disciplines impose a penalty of one round per miss around a 150m loop, which takes no more than 26 seconds to ski per round.
The men's course is 20km long and the women's course is 15km. As competitors complete the course, they must stop four times to shoot at five targets each time. For every miss, a one-minute penalty is imposed.
SPRINT
Course Length : M-10km, F-7.5km
Start : Interval start - one minute or 30 seconds
Shooting : 5 shots per bout, twice in total
Penalty : One lap around 150m loop per missed shot
The sprint is raced over three laps, where the men's course is 10km and the women's course is 7.5km. Competitors will stop twice to shoot at five targets each time. For every miss, competitors will need to complete a lap around a 150m penalty loop.
PURSUIT
Course Length : M-12.5km, F-10km
Start : Interval start (Depends on sprint time)
Shooting : 5 rounds per bout, four bouts in total
Penalty : One lap around 150m loop per missed shot
The Pursuit features a 12.5km course for men and 10km for women. Qualification for the Pursuit is usually done via the Sprint and the winner of the qualification round starts first. The competitor who cross the finish line first will be the winner.
There are four bouts of shooting in the Prone-Prone-Standing-Standing positions. It is imperative that the competitors arrive at the shooting range ahead of the pack, as they must shoot in the order that they arrived at the range. For those who arrived late, they could be left waiting for their turns. Each missed target will result in a penalty around a 150m loop.
If competitors are lapped during the race, they must withdraw at a suitable area connected to the shooting range.
RELAY
Course Length : M-4x7.5km, F-4x6km
Start : Simultaneous group start
Shooting : 5 rounds (+3 spare rounds) per bout, twice in total per person
Penalty : One lap around 150m loop per missed shot
In the men's relay, a 4 x 7.5km event, each competitor runs three laps and has two bouts of shooting. The 4 x 6km women's event also features two shooting bouts.
The first starter from each team starts off in a mass start, ski for 2.5km (2km for women), shoot in a prone position, ski another 2.5km, shoot in a standing position, and then ski the remaining 2.5km to tag the next team member. This process is repeated until the last competitor crosses the finish line. Subject to penalties, the first team to cross the finish line wins. For every missed shot, competitors will need to complete a lap around a 150m penalty loop.
Each competitor in a Relay competition carries three spare rounds of ammunition. If all five targets are not knocked down with the first five rounds, the spares must be used, with each spare round loaded individually by hand.
MASS START
Course Length : M-15km, F-12.5km
Start : Simultaneous group start
Shooting : 5 rounds per bout, four times in total
Penalty : One lap around 150m loop per missed shot
The top 30 competitors with the best scores in the other four events (Individual, Sprint, Pursuit, and Relay) qualify for the Mass Start. The men's event is 15km while the women's event is 12.6km.
There are five laps and four shooting bouts. In the first bout, the competitors shooting order is based on the start order. In the subsequent bouts, it will be based on a first come, first served basis. Any miss will result in a penalty lap around a 150m loop.
MIXED RELAY
Course Length : 2x6km + 2x7.5km
Start : Simultaneous group start
Shooting : 5 rounds (+3 spare rounds) per bout, twice in total per person
Penalty : One lap around 150m loop per missed shot
The Mixed Relay will make its debut at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. The race follows the same principles as the Relay, except that a team consists of two men and two women. Each woman skis a distance of 6km while each men skis 7.5km. The race order in a Mixed Relay is women-women-men-men.
Bobsleigh
The bobsleigh is one of three sledding events, along with luge and skeleton. In the bobsleigh, competitors speed down an ice-covered track on a fiberglass sleigh. There are three types of bobsleigh events: Two-man, four–man, and two-woman.
Two-person teams comprise of a pilot and a brakeman, while the four-man feature a pilot, a brakeman, and two pushers. Usually, the crew gains momentum prior to jumping into the sleigh, so as to achieve the fastest start possible. It is possible to achieve speeds of 40km per hour in less than six seconds at the start of the race.
As a rule of thumb, a 1/10th of a second lead at the start translates into a 3/10ths of a second advantage by the bottom of the course. During a typical 60-second run, speeds of more than 135 km per hour are reached.
In total, each team will run the course four times, i.e. twice a day for two days. The times are added and the team with the fastest time wins.
Skeleton
The skeleton differs from the luge in that the competitor lies flat on the stomach with the head facing forward. The two main events are the men's and women's singles.
In order to participate in the Olympic skeleton events, countries must first qualify through the World Cup. The top 12 men's teams and top eight women's teams will qualify.
Without an outstanding start (at least 1/10 sec), it is almost impossible for competitors to win in the skeleton. For the first 50m, top competitors can accelerate up to 40km per hour in five seconds.
Curling
In curling, the objective for a four-person team is to place its stones closer to the target (also known as a "tee") than the opposing team. A slider will release the stone before he crosses the first line, and it is common to see teammates sweep the ice in front of the gliding stone at the instructions of the skip (leader of the team), which would create thin water tracks to guide the stone to its intended spot.
Curling game is played on a specific ice surface called a sheet, which measures at 45.720m x 5m. Distance between two midpoints is 34.747m, and the diameter of a house (ice patterns) is 3.658m. The stones used in Olympic competition weigh between 17.24kg and 19.96kg, with a circumference of 91.44cm.
Each game consists of ten "ends", or rounds, during which each member throws two stones. Typically, each team has 73 minutes to finish the game, with two timeouts. If the game remains tied, 10 minutes will be given to each team as well as an extra timeout.
If teams cannot visually decide which stones are closer to the tee, a measuring device is used. Measurements are taken from the tee to the nearest part of the stone.
Ice Hockey
Ice Hockey is played on an international standard ice rink measuring 61m x 30m, where two teams with six infield players each try to score against each other. A maximum of 22 players is allowed per team; on the ice, there will usually be one goaltenders, two defencemen, and three forwards. At any given time, these players can be substituted.
The game consists of three periods, each 20 minutes long. There is a 15-minute intermission after both the 1st and the 2nd periods. If there is a tie in a gold medal match, there will be 20 minutes of overtime and should the score still be tied, a sudden-death shootout will break the tie.
Penalties occur during the course of play and, depending on the severity of the offence, the offending player may be sent to a penalty box for two to 10 minutes. In the Olympic Winter Games, fighting is not tolerated and it is possible to eject players for this offence.
Luge
In the luge, competitors lie flat on their backs on a sled and races down an ice track. Traditionally, the three events are the Men’s singles, the Women’s singles, and the Double. The Team Relay will make its debut at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
The singles event consist of four runs over the course of two days; the competitor with the fastest combined time wins. The doubles consist of two runs performed on the same day and the team with the fastest combined time wins.
Competitors are clearly notified for the start signal, and can only begin at the green light. Competitors use handles embeddled in the track to give themselves a starting push, and dig into the ice with their spiked gloves to gain momentum.
Figure Skating
Figure skating is one of the most technical sports of the Winter Olympic Programme. The four events that make up the programme are the men's singles, women's singles, pairs, and ice dancing.
The single events comprise of a short programme and a free skating programme.
Ice dancing features short dance and free dance segments.
In the pairs, couples perform together in a short programme and a free skating programme, which feature lifts, throws and other synchronised skating techniques.
To achieve the team's final standing, the scores of the singles, pairs and ice dancing events are aggregated.
Short Track Speed Skating
In Short Track Speed Skating, the oval measures at 111.12m, which is the size of a hockey rink. As the skaters are not able to produce speeds like how they do on a longer oval, the essence of the race depends on the ability to overtake rival skaters at the right time.
Short track speed skating features the 500m, 1000m and 1500m for both men and women, and the 5000m relay and 3000m for the men and women's events respectively.
In the 500m and 1000m, the number of skaters per round is four while the longer distances feature six to eight athletes. The top two athletes of each round advance until there are only four athletes to compete in a medal round.
Speed Skating
In speed skating, skaters race in a 400m ice oval and the first one to the finish line wins. Men and women share the same distances in the 500m, 1000m, and 1500m. The men also compete in the 5000m and 10,000m, while the equivalent distance in the women's event is the 3000m and 5000m.
Both men and women's events also feature the team pursuit. Three skaters form a team and two competing teams start from opposite start lines on the oval. Men race in eight laps while women compete in six laps. The third skater who crosses the finish line first will win it for the team.
Alpine Skiing
Alpine skiing in the Olympic Winter Games consists of the same five events for men and women, namely the Downhill, Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super Giant Slalom, and Super Combined.
Downhill : The downhill is the longest of the five events and skiers typically generate the fastest speed as compared to other events. In the downhill, each skier has only one run down the course and the one with the fastest time is the winner. As there is only one run, if two skiers have the same time there would be a tie.
Slalom : The Slalom course is the shortest of the Alpine skiing events, where skiers have to maneuver past closely-positioned gates. After the skiers have made their first runs, the positions of the gates will be changed. The 30 qualified skiers will compete again on the same day, and the one with the fastest combined times of the two runs is the winner.
Giant Slalom - GS : Giant Slalom is similar to the slalom, with the only differences being the lesser number of gates and wider turns. After the first run is completed, the positions of the gates are changed and the 30 qualified skiers race again on the same day. The skier with the fastest combined times over the two runs is the winner.
Super Giant Slalom - Super G : The Super G is usually run on a Downhill course, but on a shorter course and with less vertical drop. The skier with the fastest time is the winner.
Super combined : The Combined event comprises one slalom event and either a downhill or a Super G event. Times are added and the skier with the fastest total time is the winner.
Cross Country Skiing
Cross country skiing is an event where skiers pit against each other and also against the clock. It is based on skiers racing in classic style and freestyle. Both men and women have six events each, with the only difference being the distances.
Men: Individual Sprint, Team Sprint, 15K (Freestyle), Skiathlon (30K Pursuit), 50K Mass Start, 4x10K Relay
Women: Individual Sprint, Team Sprint, 10K (Freestyle), Skiathlon (15K Pursuit), 30K Mass Start, 4x5K Relay
Individual Sprint : The Individual Sprint is skied in classical style. The top 30 athletes who qualified from their qualification rounds will face off against each other in elimination heats. The top two athletes from each heat will compete in the next rounds until there are six athletes for the final medal round.
Team Sprint : A team consists of two skiers. Using the free style technique, each of them skis and taps each other for a total of six loops.
Men's 15K, Women's 10K : The Men's 15K and the Women's 10K are individual events that feature the freestyle technique. Skiers start 30 seconds apart over the same course and the one with the fastest time wins.
Skiathlon : Skiathlon replaced the name of the Pursuit in 2003, where men have to compete for 30km and the women in 15km. This is a mass start event, and the first half of the race is skied using the classical style while the second half is run using the freestyle.
Men's 50K Mass Start, Women's 30K Mass Start : The Mass Start, as the name suggests, is run in a group start. Skiers adopt the classical style and try to cross the finish line first. This is generally considered as a marathon on snow.
Relay - Men's 4x15K, Women's 4x10K : Four skiers form a team and their skiing techniques are equally divided; two will ski in classical style and the other two in freestyle. The first skier must touch the back of the next skier in order for the latter's race to begin. The fastest total time will determine the winner.
Freestyle Skiing
Freestyle Skiing events consist of the Mogul, Aerial skiing, Ski Cross, Ski Slopestyle, and Ski Halfpipe.
Moguls : In the Mogul, competitors ski run a steep course full of bumps and two jumps. In the Olympic Winter Games, up to 20 men and 20 women compete in a one-run elimination round and a one-run final. In the final, the start order will be the reverse order of the qualification round.
Competitors are scored on the turns (50% of score), aerial maneuvers (25%) and speed (25%).
Aerials : The Aerial competition is about performing twists, somersaults and turns off a ramp. The ramp, or "kicker block", is built according to various distances, which allow competitors to pre-choose two of their jump styles. Two qualification runs determine competitors who would advance to the final round. After two more jumps in the final, the competitor with the highest total score will be the winner.
Ski Cross : Ski Cross is generally known as "motocross on snow". Four competitors race together and the first two of each heat advances to the next round, until there are only four competitors left to determine the final round.
Ski Halfpipe : The Ski Halfpipe will make its debut at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Similar to the Snowboard Halfpipe, competitors in halfpipe skiing attempt acrobatic jumps and turns on a half-cylinder pipe.
Ski Slopestyle : In Ski Slopestyle, competitors attempt to achieve the highest altitude off their jumps, and mixing it up with high-difficulty turns. The Ski Slopestyle will make its debut in the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
Nordic Combined
The Nordic Combined is a combination of one round of ski jumping and one round of cross country. This is a men's only event.
At the Olympic Winter Games, the Nordic Combined events are the Individual Normal Hill/10K race, the Individual Large Hill/10K race, and the Team Large Hill/4x5K.
In the Individual Normal Hill/10K race, the competitors first make their jumps on a normal hill. Competitors who lead after the jumps will start the 10K freestyle skiing race. This method of determining the starting order is also known the Gundersen or Pursuit.
The Individual Large Hill/10K race follows the same principles as the Individual Normal Hill/10K race; the only difference is in jumping off from the large hill.
In the Team Large Hill/4x5K race, four competitors form a team and they jump from the large hill. The team with the highest combined score from the jumps will start first. Each competitor will race 5km cross-country style and tag his teammate. The team that cross the finish line first will be the winner.
Ski Jumping
In Ski Jumping, athletes speed down and take off from a ramp, as they attempt to land as far down the hill as possible. Points are divided into style points and distance points.
For style points, five judges evaluate the athletes' flight, landing and outrun (i.e. the phase after landing until the skiers stop). The highest and lowest points are discarded, leaving only the "middle" three points to be totalled. A perfect jump is worth 20 points.
Distance points are based on athletes' abilities to reach the K spot. The K spot (or K-point) is an arbitrary point related to the size of a large hill or a normal hill. A large hill has a K spot of over 100m, while a normal hill has a K point between 75m and 99m. An athlete will receive 60 points if he or she reaches the K spot. If the athlete exceeds the K spot, the points will be increased; conversely, points will be deducted for failure to reach the K spot.
Ski Jumping is a men's only event and consists of Individual and Team jumps. For the individual event, there will be two jumps per athlete. The one with the highest total score from his two jumps will be the winner.
For Team competition, four athletes made up a team. For the first round, all teams will jump twice. The eight teams with the highest scores will jump again in the medal round, and the team with the highest total combined scores wins.
Snowboarding
Snowboarding consists of five events - Halfpipe, Parallel Giant Slalom, Cross, Slopestyle, and Parallel Special Slopestyle. The Giant Slalom, which debuted in Nagano 1998, has not featured since. Slopestyle and Parallel Special Slopestyle will make their debuts in Sochi 2014.
Snowboard Halfpipe : Named after the half-cylindrical snow pipe, competitors perform acrobatic tricks jumps, twists and rotations. Five judges evaluate each athlete based on standards such as technical merit, height of the tricks, and rotation. Competitors with the highest scores from two of three qualifying runs advance to the finals.
Parallel Giant Slalom : In the Parallel Giant Slalom, competitors go against the clock in the qualification round to determine the top 16 who would advance to the elimination round. In the elimination round, competitors go head-to-head on parallel courses. After the first run, competitors switch courses and the one who won the first run would start first. The winner after the second run would advance to the next round, and so forth.
Snowboard Cross : In the Snowboard Cross, the course comprises banked turns and jumps. Competitors race against the clock at first and the fastest times determine the start order in the elimination rounds.
In the elimination rounds, between four and six competitors start and race together on the same course. The top two competitors of each round advances to the next round until there are four or six competitors left to make up the medal round.
Snowboard Slopestyle : The Snowboard Slopestyle consists of a variety of large jumps and rails. Competitors perform tricks and judges evaluate them based on the same criteria as in the Snowboard Halfpipe. The Snowboard Slopestyle will make its debut in the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
