Cross Country Skiing at the Winter Olympics

Cross Country Skiing at the Winter Olympics: Cross-country skiing is one of the most popular sports in many countries with large snow fields, mainly in Northern Europe and Canada. Cross country skiing has been highly popularized in the United States of America. This form of skiing is also known as "XC skiing". The event belongs to the Nordic skiing sport family. The origin of cross country skiing event dates back to the ancient days. The event developed in Norway, where skiing was practiced as a means of transport during the winter season. The modern form of the event evolved during the late nineteenth century. Cross country skiing involves mainly three styles-classic, skating and tele-marking. There is yet another style, which is becoming more and more popular among the skiers, is known as "skijoring". The event is governed by the Federation Internationale de Ski or the FIS at the international level.

Cross Country Skiing in the Winter Games: Cross-country skiing event was introduced to the men's skiing program at the 1924 Chamonix Winter Games. Women started participating in the event at the 1952 Oslo Winter Olympics.

Currently the events contested during the Olympic cross country skiing competition are

• Men's 30 km Pursuit (15 Classic+15 Free)
• Ladies' 15 km Pursuit (7.5 Classic+7.5 Free)
• Men's Individual Sprint Classic
• Ladies' Individual Sprint Classic
• Men's Team Sprint Free
• Ladies' Team Sprint Free
• Men's 4x10 km Relay Classic/Free
• Ladies' 4x5 km Relay Classic/Free
• Men's 15 km Individual Free
• Ladies' 10 km Individual Free
• Men's 50 km, Mass Start Classic
• Ladies' 30 km, Mass Start Classic

Categories of Cross Country Skiing: On the basis of competition formats, cross country skiing event can be divided in various categories. The general categories of the skiing discipline are-

• Mass start
• Interval start
• Relays
• Sprint events
• Team sprint events
• Pursuit events

Rules of Cross Country Skiing: The Federation Internationale de Ski or the FIS is authorized to set rules for the international competitions of cross country skiing event. Some of the rules set by the organization are-

• According to the FIS rule-book, there should be a certain distance covered in the uphill direction on the course used for the cross country skiing competition.
• The skiing courses should be well prepared during the competitions. The course must be appropriately marked for the skiers' convenience.
• The length and width of the skiing tracks are specified by the FIS in its rule-book.
• The techniques, which can be used during the international cross country skiing competitions, are prescribed by the FIS.
• The starting methods used in various categories of cross country skiing are specified by the FIS.
• No competitor is allowed to obstruct other skiers' way during the competitions. any skier found to violate this rule is readily disqualified from the competition.
• All the equipments used during the international cross country skiing competitions should be approved by the FIS.
• A number of officials are appointed during the competition to monitor the race.

Medal winners in Cross Country Skiing: Norway, Sweden, Russia, Finland and Italy are the leading countries in the international domain of cross country skiing. Some of the most famous cross country skiers of the world are Andrus Veerpalu, Johan Grottumsbraten, Hallgeir Brenden, Sixten Jernberg, Frode Estil, Lukas Bauer, Jaak Mae, Maurilio De Zolt, Bjorn Daehlie, Nikolaj Zimjatov, Tobias Angerer, Giorgio Di Centa, Mikhail Ivanov, Eugeni Dementiev, Thomas Alsgaard, Vladimir Smirnov, Giorgio Di Centa, Pietro Piller Cottrer, Cristian Zorzi, Christian Hoffmann, Per Elofsson, Tor Arne Hetland, Peter Schlickenrieder, Bjorn Lind, Roddy Darragon, Thobias Fredriksson, Kristina Smigun, Marit Bjorgen, Manuela Henkel, Natalia Baranova-Masolkina, Larisa Kurkina, Claudia Kunzel, Beckie Scott, Raisa Smetanina, Chandra Crawford, Alena Victorovna Sidko, Lina Andersson and Anna Dahlberg.