Skiing Competition Research Articles

3D Motion Analysis of Alpine Skiing on Steep Slope Gate in Men’s Giant Slalom

This study aimed to determine the characteristics of the elite skiers and the techniques required to improve their performance in the men’s giant slalom alpine skiing competition by conducting a three-dimensional (3D) motion analysis. The top nine skiers were compared with the next nine skiers using 3D motion analysis in a single-gate section with an average slope of 25.6°. The results revealed the following characteristics of superior skiing techniques. (1) The skiers started the turn from a high position relative to the gate and obtained high velocity by skiing in a gentle arc using potential energy. (2) By quickly rotating and edging the skis, the skiers were able to gain centripetal force early, enter the gate, ski in the direction of the fall line, and change skiing direction timely. (3) The skiers had quick inward leaning of the body and early lowering of the pelvis on the outside ski to form an angulation posture to resist the large external forces acting on the body during the turn.

Scalable Preparation of Liquid Infused Coatings for Lubrication of 103 m2 Dry Ski Slopes.

To facilitate effective training for freestyle skiers on artificial dry ski slopes, it is crucial to reduce the friction coefficient of the slopes and closely match it with that of snow. Traditional lubrication methods, such as water or soapy water, come with multiple disadvantages, including water waste, which leads to environmental pollution, short-lived effectiveness, and high costs. In this study, we have successfully developed a method for the scalable preparation of a liquid-infused coating (LIC) by tandem spraying inexpensive and environmentally friendly SiO2 particles and silicone oil lubricants. Experimental results showed that the resulting LIC is capable of imparting slippery properties to various surfaces, regardless of the surface chemistry. Moreover, the presence of LIC could reduce the friction coefficient significantly. By carefully regulating the surface composition, we achieved a friction coefficient of 0.059 between a snowboard and the LIC-functionalized ski slope, closely matching that between the snowboard and snow in a typical skiing competition venue (∼0.06). We successfully applied LIC onto 103 m2 dry ski slopes, providing a training ground for professional freestyle skiers.

The Green Tourism Management Strategies for Creating the Community’s Economic Value Added from Organizing the Jet Ski Competition

The Green Tourism Management Strategies for Creating the Community’s Economic Value Added from Organizing the Jet Ski Competition

Angiogenic Regulators during Alpine Skiing Training

Purpose: The present study evaluates angiogenesis response through the determination of acute changes in hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha, vascular endothelial growth factor, erythropoietin and endostatin levels measured after both slalom and giant slalom trainings. Material and Methods: A total of 20 volunteer male athletes over the age of 18 years with no health problems, and with international alpine skiing competition experience were included in the study. At the outset, the height, body weight and VO2max values of the volunteers was measured, and a giant slalom training lasting 2.5 hours was performed after a week on a giant slalom course. The volunteers were then asked not to exercise for a week, and slalom training was performed lasting 2.5 hours on a slalom course. The endostatin, erythropoietin, hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha, and vascular endothelial growth factor levels of the volunteers were examined from 5 ml venous blood samples drawn into biochemistry tubes 20 minutes before and as soon as trainings over both the giant slalom and slalom trainings. Results: A significant increase was determined in the hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha, vascular endothelial growth factor, erythropoietin and endostatin levels after both the giant slalom and slalom trainings (p < 0.05). Conclusion: These increases observed in the angiogenesis markers suggests that a single unit giant slalom and slalom trainings induces angiogenesis responses.

Performance-Determining Variables of a Simulated Sprint Cross-Country Skiing Competition.

To investigate performance-determining variables of an on-snow sprint cross-country skiing competition and the evolvement in their relationship with performance as the competition progresses from the individual time trial (TT) to the final. Sixteen national-level male junior skiers (mean [SD] age, 18.6 [0.8]y; peak oxygen uptake [VO2peak], 67.6 [5.5]mL·min-1·kg-1) performed a simulated sprint competition (1.3km) in the skating style, comprising a TT followed by 3 finals (quarterfinals, semifinals, and final) completed by all skiers. In addition, submaximal and incremental roller-ski treadmill tests, on-snow maximal speed tests, and strength/power tests were performed. VO2peak and peak treadmill speed during incremental testing and relative heart rate, rating of perceived exertion, blood lactate concentrations, and gross efficiency during submaximal testing were all significantly correlated with performance in the TT and subsequent finals (mean [range] r values: .67 [.53-.86], all P < .05). Relative VO2peak and submaximal relative heart rate and blood lactate concentration were more strongly correlated with performance in the semifinals and final compared with the TT (r values: .74 [.60-.83] vs 0.55 [.51-.60], all P < .05). Maximal speed in uphill and flat terrain was significantly correlated with performance in the TT and subsequent finals (r values: .63 [.38-.70], all P < .05), while strength/power tests did not correlate significantly with sprint performance. VO2peak and high-speed abilities were the most important determinants of sprint cross-country skiing performance, with an increased importance of VO2peak as the competition format progressed toward the final.

Comprehensive analysis of performance, physiological, and perceptual responses during an entire sprint cross-country skiingcompetition.

To investigate performance, physiological, and perceptual responses of an entire sprint cross-country skiing competition in the skating style. Eighteen national-level male junior skiers participated in a simulated competition comprising an individual time trial (TT), followed by three heats (quarterfinals [QF], semifinals [SF], and final [F]). Participants' heart rate (HR) was continuously monitored while perceived readiness (RED, 1-10), rating of perceived exertion (RPE, 6-20), and blood lactate [La-] were assessed at standardized time points. The total duration and distance covered were 03:30 ± 00:06h and 25.2 ± 2.9km, respectively. The participants spent 02:19 ± 00:27h > 60% of their maximal HR (HRmax) and 00:16 ± 00:04h > 85% of HRmax. Average HR decreased from TT to F (89.3 ± 2.0% vs. 86.9 ± 3.0% of HRmax, P < 0.01). [La-] levels were highest before (4.6 ± 2.0 vs. 2.9 ± 1.2, 3.2 ± 2.0 and 2.5 ± 1.3mmol·L-1, all P < 0.01) and after (10.8 ± 1.4 vs. 9.8 ± 1.6, 9.1 ± 1.8 and 8.7 ± 1.7mmol·L-1, all P < 0.05) F compared to TT, QF, and SF, respectively. RED was lowest before F compared to TT, QF, and SF (6.6 ± 1.4 vs. 7.9 ± 1.1, 7.6 ± 1.1, and 7.4 ± 1.4, respectively, all P < 0.05) while RPE was highest after TT compared to QF, SF, and F (17.8 ± 0.9 vs. 15.1 ± 2.0, 16.5 ± 1.2 and 16.6 ± 1.8, respectively, all P < 0.01). The six best-performing skiers demonstrated higher RED before F (7.2 ± 0.9 vs. 5.3 ± 1.2, P < 0.05) and higher [La-] after F (11.2 ± 0.2 vs. 10.2 ± 0.3, mmol·L-1, P < 0.05) than lower-performing competitors. This study provides novel insights into physiological demands of an entire sprint cross-country skiing competition, which involves repeated 3-min high-intensity efforts interspersed with > 2h (25 km) of low- to moderate-intensity exercise.

The annual cross-country skiing competitions with students from underprivileged backgrounds in Cluj County

The annual cross-country skiing competitions with students from underprivileged backgrounds in Cluj County

Coefficient of Difficulty in Running a Sports Course in Alpine Skiing

In alpine ski disciplines, it is common for competitors to record incomplete runs. In some instances, up to 40% of competitors have failed to complete a course. Possible reasons include incorrect preparation of skiers (lack of adequate motor preparation) and poor tactical approaches. However, there are also some errors in the setting of gates on a course. The aim of this paper is to determine the objective difficulty coefficient of alpine skiing competition courses, based on course geometry and the kinematic parameters of the run. This research monitored alpine skiers during the FIS World Cup. All four alpine skiing disciplines (i.e., downhill, super giant, giant slalom, and slalom) were considered. The average value of the coefficient of difficulty (W.tr) was the highest for the downhill style runs and amounted to 1.20, the super giant and the giant had comparable values of 1.13–1.14, and for the slalom, the W.tr value was the lowest at 0.97. Based on the determined coefficients of route difficulty, it is possible to derive a quantifiable metric to estimate the degree of risk associated with different sections of a course.

Race development and performance-determining factors in a mass-start cross-country skiing competition.

Although five of six Olympic events in cross-country skiing involve mass-starts, those events are sparsely examined scientifically. Therefore, in this study, we investigated speed profiles, pacing strategies, group dynamics and their performance-determining impact in a cross-country skiing mass-start competition. Continuous speed and position of 57 male skiers was measured in a six-lap, 21.8 km national mass-start competition in skating style and later followed up with an online questionnaire. Skiers ranked from 1 to 40 were split into four performance-groups: R1-10 for ranks 1 to 10, R11-20 for ranks 11 to 20, R21-30 for ranks 21 to 30, and R31-40 for ranks 31 to 40. All skiers moved together in one large pack for 2.3 km, after which lower-performing skiers gradually lost the leader pack and formed small, dynamic packs. A considerable accordion effect occurred during the first half of the competition that lead to additional decelerations and accelerations and a higher risk of incidents that disadvantaged skiers at the back of the pack. Overall, 31% of the skiers reported incidents, but none were in R1-10. The overall trend was that lap speed decreased after Lap 1 for all skiers and thereafter remained nearly unchanged for R1-10, while it gradually decreased for the lower-performing groups. Skiers in R31-40, R21-30, and R11-20 lost the leader pack during Lap 3, Lap 4, and Lap 5, respectively, and more than 60% of the time-loss relative to the leader pack occurred in the uphill terrain sections. Ultimately, skiers in R1-10 sprinted for the win during the last 1.2 km, in which 2.4 s separated the top five skiers, and a photo finish differentiated first from second place. Overall, a high correlation emerged between starting position and final rank. Our results suggest that (a) an adequate starting position, (b) the ability to avoid incidents and disadvantages from the accordion effect, (c) tolerate fluctuations in intensity, and (d) maintain speed throughout the competition, particularly in uphill terrain, as well as (e) having well-developed final sprint abilities, are key factors determining performance during skating-style mass-start cross-country skiing competitions.

The influence of race tactics for performance in the heats of an international sprint cross-country skiing competition.

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of race tactics for performance in the heats of an international sprint cross-country (XC) skiing competition in the classical style. Thirty elite male XC skiers (age: 24±3 years, sprint International Ski Federation [FIS] points: 61±27) performed a sprint time-trial (STT) followed by one to three 'knock-out' heats on a 1.7 km racecourse. An integrated GNSS/IMU system was used to determine position, sub-technique distribution and kinematics. Positioning was analysed using the television broadcast of the race. STT rank correlated positively with the final rank [(rs (28) = .72, P = .001)]. The top-two finishers in each heat were on average ~3.8% slower in the heats compared to the STT (237.1±3.9 vs. 228.3±4.0 seconds, P = .001). On average, the skiers performed ~10 overtakings per 100 meters from the start to the last uphill segment but only ~3 overtakings per 100 meters in the last two segments in each heat. 93.8% of the top-two finishing skiers positioned themselves at top 2 before approaching the final uphill, in which the top-two finishers and the skiers ranked 3-4 were generally faster than those ranked 5-6 in the heats (both, P = .01). Here, top-four skiers employed 5.3% longer cycle lengths and 3.4% higher cycle rates in the diagonal sub-technique than skiers ranked 5-6 (all, P = .01). The present study demonstrates the importance of race tactics for performance in the heats of sprint XC skiing, in which the main performance-determining factors in the present racecourse were a front position when approaching the final uphill segment combined with the ability to ski fast in that segment. In general, this illustrates how accurate racecourse analyses may help skiers to optimize their race-individual race-strategies in the heats of sprint XC skiing competitions.

Numerical optimization of pacing strategy in cross-country skiing based on Gauss pseudo-spectral method

In cross-country skiing competitions, the choice of pacing strategy is of decisive significance to athletes' performance. A reasonable pacing strategy is essential for athletes to improve their performance. In this paper, the mathematical models of cross-country skiing simulation and pacing optimization are established, including motion model, athlete power output model, and optimization model. The actual competition data of a Chinese athlete in Guyangshu 1.5 km track was compared with the model simulation results. The whole process time error is less than 3%, which verifies the accuracy of the motion and power output model. Gauss pseudo-spectral method is applied to the optimization model. By changing the distribution of athletes' power output, the racing time is minimized under the condition that the total energy output remains unchanged. Compared with the pacing strategy before optimization, the optimized racing time was shortened by 12.6 s, which verifies the effectiveness of the optimization model. Optimized results show that in the first significant uphill section, a recommendation is to use a more conservative strategy, while in the latter half of uphill sections the power output should be increased.

Characterisation of the Contact between Cross-Country Skis and Snow: A Macro-Scale Investigation of the Apparent Contact

In a cross-country skiing competition, the time difference between the winner and the skier coming in at second place is typically very small. Since the skier spends much of the energy on overcoming resistive forces, a relatively small reduction in these forces can have a significant impact on the results. The resistive forces come partly from the friction, at the tribological interface between the ski and the snow, and as with many tribological processes, the characterisation of its origin plays an important role in determining the frictional properties. Furthermore, in cross-country ski friction, there are several scales impacting the frictional performance, with the major contributors being the ski-camber profile and ski-base structure. Macro-scale measurements of the ski-camber profile under loading are often used to determine how adequate the ski is for use under specific conditions. The characteristic properties usually assessed are the force required to collapse the ski in order to obtain a certain camber height, the topography of the kick-wax zone, and the length (determined by simple means) of the frictional interfaces associated with the rear- and front glide zones, i.e., the apparent contact length. These measurements are, however, commonly performed by loading the ski against a much stiffer counter surface than snow and this affects the quantification of the characteristic properties. To date, some mathematical models have been proposed, but there is no reliable approach for determining the macro-scale properties of the contact between a cross-country ski and a counter surface using simulations. In the present paper, an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) has been trained to predict the ski-camber profile for various loads applied at different positions. A well-established deterministic approach has been employed to simulate the contact between the ANN-predicted ski-camber profile and a linearly elastic body with a flat upper surface, representing the snow. Our findings indicate that this method is feasible for the determination of relevant macro-scale contact characteristics of different skis with snow. Moreover, we show that the apparent contact area does not linearly depend on the load and that the material properties of the counter surface also exert a large impact when quantifying the apparent contact area and the average apparent contact pressure.

Аналіз умов виникнення та змагальної діяльності лижних марафонів Visma Ski Classics

The article highlights the historical aspects of the formation, features and prerequisites for the emergence of new disciplines in ski racing on the example of the Visma Ski Classics. Purpose of the Research is to analyze the reasons for the emergence and features of the competitive activity of Visma Ski Classics. Stuff and Methods of the Research. Achieving the goal was ensured by using a number of general scientific research methods. In particular, the analysis and synthesis of theoretical data was chosen because they allowed to describe a relatively wide range of issues in a more diverse way. The information relating to various aspects of the preconditions for the emergence of Visma Ski Classics has been taken into account. Results of the Research. Based on a detailed analysis of scientific and methodological sources and available information on the Internet, it was established that Visma Ski Marathon was based on the stages of the Tour de Ski multi-day skiing competition. The basis for which, in its turn, were multi-day cycling competitions, namely Tour de France. This is a positive component in the development and popularization of ski racing, because it, like most winter sports, is a conservative sport. The modern world requires dynamic changes; so many commercial starts began to appear. One of them is a series of Visma Ski Classics. The article features 12-season history of the marathons, the peculiarities of rules and regulations and highlights the events of the last season, namely the weather conditions, Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine and how it affected the course of the competitions. Findings. On the whole, authors view Visma Ski Classics marathons as a positive trend in the development of cross-country skiing as they enable wide range of people to enjoy this kind of sport.

Anders Zorn and naturalistic ski competitions versus the progress of the hegemonic Swedish sport policy at the beginning of the 20th century

In this essay we will use a historical approach to comprehend, firstly, the progress and challenges of the Swedish Sport Movement, and secondly, as a stimulus to a reflection on current challenges in regard to the policy and organization of Swedish sport. Thus, the famous Swedish painter Anders Zorn, and his entrepreneurial approach in regard to ski competitions, in addition to his naturalistic ideas, stood in the early 1900 as a (serious) challenge to the initial progress of the Swedish Sport Confederation and its tradition, ideology and, in the prolongation, its hegemonic position. This historical review will, additionally, be related to a contemporary case – ‘The Motor Sport Case’ – in which the Swedish Sport Model has become challenged by EU Law and Competition Law. The presentation will offer a fair amount of – archeological – evidence to better understand the inherent (generic) conflicts as well as the hegemony of the Swedish sport movement. The theoretical framework builds roughly on the perspectives of power and hegemony, which includes concept such as domination, encapsulation, rebellion and noncompliance. The reflection focuses on the ‘organizational capital’ as the vital drive in the progress of the Swedish Sport Confederation and its monopoly.

Events: Reopening of cross-country skiing competitions with school children from disadvantaged backgrounds in Cluj County – 2022

Events: Reopening of cross-country skiing competitions with school children from disadvantaged backgrounds in Cluj County – 2022

Carved Turn Control with Gate Vision Recognition of a Humanoid Robot for Giant Slalom Skiing on Ski Slopes.

The performance of humanoid robots is improving, owing in part to their participation in robot games such as the DARPA Robotics Challenge. Along with the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, a Skiing Robot Competition was held in which humanoid robots participated autonomously in a giant slalom alpine skiing competition. The robots were required to transit through many red or blue gates on the ski slope to reach the finish line. The course was relatively short at 100 m long and had an intermediate-level rating. A 1.23 m tall humanoid ski robot, ‘DIANA’, was developed for this skiing competition. As a humanoid robot that mimics humans, the goal was to descend the slope as fast as possible, so the robot was developed to perform a carved turn motion. The carved turn was difficult to balance compared to other turn methods. Therefore, ZMP control, which could secure the posture stability of the biped robot, was applied. Since skiing takes place outdoors, it was necessary to ensure recognition of the flags in various weather conditions. This was ensured using deep learning-based vision recognition. Thus, the performance of the humanoid robot DIANA was established using the carved turn in an experiment on an actual ski slope. The ultimate vision for humanoid robots is for them to naturally blend into human society and provide necessary services to people. Previously, there was no way for a full-sized humanoid robot to move on a snowy mountain. In this study, a humanoid robot that transcends this limitation was realized.

Prerequisites for the appearance and development of ski marathons visma ski classics

The presented article considers the historical aspects of the formation of skiing, features and prerequisites for the appearance of new disciplines in cross-country skiing on the example of Visma Ski Classics marathons.&#x0D; The aim of the research. Identify the prerequisites and analyze the development of ski marathons Visma Ski Classics as a new discipline in cross-country skiing.&#x0D; Achieving the goal was ensured by using a number of general scientific research methods. In particular, the analysis and synthesis of theoretical data was chosen because they allowed to describe a relatively wide range of issues in a more diverse way. We took into account the information of sources that were related to various aspects of the preconditions for the appearancence of ski marathons Visma Ski Classics.&#x0D; Based on a detailed analysis of scientific and methodological sources and available information on the Internet, it was established that Visma Ski Classics marathon was based on the stages of the Tour de Ski multi-day skiing competition. The basis for which, in its turn, were multi-day cycling competitions, namely Tour de France. This is exactly the positive component in the development and promotion of this sport, because skiing is a conservative sport, as well as most winter sports. In the 100-year history of the International Ski Federation (FIS), few changes have taken place. The modern world requires active change and entertainment. Therefore, many commercial starts began to emerge. One of them is a series of ski marathons Visma Ski Classics.

Maximizing recovery time between knock-out races improves sprint cross-country skiing performance

BackgroundIn a sprint cross-country (XC) ski competition, the difference in recovery times separating the first and the second semi-final (SF) heats from the final (F) may affect performance. The aim of the current study was to compare the effects of longer vs. shorter recovery periods prescribed between the 3 knock-out races of a simulated sprint XC ski competition involving a prologue (P), quarter-final (QF), SF, and F. MethodsEleven well-trained XC ski athletes completed 2 simulated sprint XC ski competitions on a treadmill involving 4 × 883-m roller-ski bouts at a 4° incline using the gear 3 ski-skating sub-technique. The first 3 bouts were completed at a fixed speed (PFIX, QFFIX, and SFFIX) corresponding to ∼96% of each individual's previously determined maximal effort. The final bout was performed as a self-paced sprint time trial (FSTT). Test conditions differed by the time durations prescribed between the QFFIX, SFFIX, and FSTT, which simulated real-world XC ski competition conditions using maximum (MAX-REC) or minimum (MIN-REC) recovery periods. ResultsThe FSTT was completed 5.4 ± 5.5 s faster (p = 0.009) during MAX-REC (179.2 ± 18.1 s) compared to MIN-REC (184.6 ± 20.0 s), and this was linked to a significantly higher power output (p = 0.010) and total metabolic rate (p = 0.009). The pre FSTT blood lactate (BLa) concentration was significantly lower during MAX-REC compared to MIN-REC (2.5 ± 0.8 mmol/L vs. 3.6 ± 1.6 mmol/L, respectively; p = 0.027), and the pre-to-post FSTT increase in BLa was greater (8.8 ± 2.1 mmol/L vs. 7.1 ± 2.3 mmol/L, respectively; p = 0.024). No other differences for MAX-REC vs. MIN-REC reached significance (p > 0.05). ConclusionPerformance in a group of well-trained XC skiers is negatively affected when recovery times between sprint heats are minimized which, in competition conditions, would occur when selecting the last QF heat. This result is combined with a higher pre-race BLa concentration and a reduced rise in BLa concentration under shorter recovery conditions. These findings may help inform decision making when XC skiers are faced with selecting a QF heat within a sprint competition.

Safety recognition and analysis in skiing with future internet framework support

Skiing plays an important role in the international sports events, especially for 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. During such skiing competition, the communication network is necessary to provide the support of data transmission so as to guarantee the real-time situation feedback regarding athletes. As we know, the skiers make the highly dynamic movement, which cannot be supported by the traditional IP-based Internet. On the contrary, the future Internet especially Information-Centric Networking (ICN) paradigm can provide the inherent support of mobility. Therefore, this letter employs ICN framework to catch the information of mobile skiers. Based on this framework, this letter proposes a safety recognition and analysis method, including feature extraction at the user-side and movement recognition at the server-side based on neural network. The experiments are made based on the dataset from 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, and the results have demonstrated that the novel method is very acceptable. In particular, the proposed scheme has some improvements, that is, 0.575% recall ratio, 0.431% precision ratio and 0.415% F1 value, respectively, compared with the baseline. This future indicates that the proposed method can provide a significant reference for 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

ARCHIGESH-21. The place where the Earth rounds up

The article tells us about the events of the 16th Forum of architects-mountain skiers, which was held in Sheregesh in March 2021. The participants of the working meetings exchanged information and discussed topical issues of regional organizations of the Union of Architects of Russia. The article presents the list of the winners of the ski, table tennis and billiard competitions.