Para alpine skiing words · Intermediate

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I · Intermediate · 44 words · Step 2 of 2

General terms

International Competition Rules (para alpine)

FIS's joint regulations for para alpine skiing. They have four sections: the joint rules for all FIS competitions, the rules common to para alpine events, the rules for each event, and the rules specific to para alpine skiing.

Also called: ICR
See also: Para alpine skiing

Race level

The class of competition. Level 0 is the Paralympic Winter Games, World Championships and World Cup, level 1 is the continental cups, level 2 national championships, level 3 FIS races and level 4 entry-level (ENL) races. Rules such as the approved-equipment requirement and the start group draw differ by level.

Race director

The person who represents FIS at World Cups, World Championships, the Paralympic Winter Games and other para alpine events, checks the slope and makes sure the technical requirements are met.

Categories and sport classes

Lower-limb classes

LW1 is a bilateral lower-limb impairment (a skier with two skis and two outriggers), LW2 a unilateral one (one ski and two poles or outriggers), LW3 a bilateral one with milder loss (two skis and two poles or outriggers) and LW4 a unilateral one with milder loss (two skis and two poles). Each is defined by muscle power, limb deficiency, leg length difference or movement criteria.

Upper-limb classes

LW5/7 is a bilateral upper-limb impairment, with no ski poles, and LW6/8 a unilateral one, with one pole. Each has sub-classes (for example 5/7-1 to 5/7-3) set by whether the loss is equal to an above-elbow or a below-elbow amputation.

Combined limb class

LW9 is an impairment of one upper limb and one lower limb on the same or opposite sides. It has two sub-classes, 9-1 and 9-2, and the skier uses two skis and one pole or outrigger, or one ski and two outriggers.

Sitting classes

LW10 (with sub-classes 10-1 and 10-2) has no or minimal active sitting balance, LW11 fair sitting balance and LW12 good sitting balance, set by abdominal and back muscle scores and by a board test.

Vision impaired classes

AS1 is light perception without measurable acuity or none. AS2 is acuity of LogMAR 1.8 to 3.5, AS3 is LogMAR 1.0 to 1.7, and AS4 is LogMAR 0.6 to 0.9 or a visual field of 70 degrees or less across both eyes.

The ruleHow do blind skiers race?

AS1

The sport class of skiers who cannot see, who must wear blacked-out goggles. In level 0 and 1 races they ski behind the guide, and in level 2 and 3 races they may ski in front or behind, chosen before each run. The start interval gives them time to nearly finish before the next skier starts.

Team classification

A team combined pair is two athletes of the same gender in different sport classes. A team event has three to six competitors, both genders and at least two of the three categories, and at least one from AS1 to LW1 or LW9 to LW10.

Events

Downhill

The speed event with the longest course: a vertical drop of 450 to 800 m at the Paralympics, World Championships and World Cup. A gate is four poles and two panels at least 8 m wide. Official training is part of the competition and each competitor must make at least one timed training run.

Super-G

A one-run speed event over a vertical drop of 400 to 600 m at the top level. Open gates are 6 to 8 m wide and vertical gates 8 to 12 m wide, and the gate panels are about 75 cm by 50 cm.

Giant slalom

A two-run technical event over a vertical drop of 300 to 450 m at the top level. Gates are 4 to 8 m wide and at least 10 m apart. A single-gate giant slalom is not allowed at the Paralympics or World Championships.

Slalom

The shortest technical event, with a vertical drop of 140 to 220 m at the top level. Gates are 5.5 to 6.5 m wide and alternate blue and red, and the course has vertical combinations, hairpins and delayed gates. A single pole slalom is allowed at all levels.

Alpine combined

A downhill or super-G run and one slalom run, with the factored times added. A competitor must start in both runs to be ranked, and the super-G run counts towards the super-G points.

Parallel event

Two competitors race at the same time on two matched courses, after a qualification run. An average of the giant slalom and slalom factors is used to set the start differences.

Team event

A knockout of mixed teams, with a qualification run and heats of three races. Each team has a ranked order of racers, vision impaired guides start in front of their athletes, and the team result adds the best three racers' times.

Results and points

Race factor

The multiplier for a sport class in each event. FIS publishes the factors on its website each season.

Race points

Points from the alpine formula: the competitor's factored time against the winner's, scaled by a value F for the event (1,250 downhill, 730 slalom, 1,010 giant slalom, 1,190 super-G, 1,360 combined). The lower the points the better.

FIS points

A competitor's ranking value for each event: the average of the best two results on the base list or the normal list, with penalties added for few results, and a maximum of 999.99. They set the start groups and the race penalty.

Cup points

World Cup points of 100 for first, 80, 60, 50, 45 and so on down to 1 for thirtieth. Only athletes within 15 per cent of the adjusted time of the best in their category score, and there are no cup points for team events.

World Cup trophy rules

A World Cup event trophy needs at least four competitions at two places in a season, and goes to categories with at least six athletes from three national ski associations. Medals need at least three athletes in the category.

Rules of the race

Start procedure

No outside help is allowed. A standing skier plants poles or outriggers in front of the start gate and a sitting skier plants outriggers behind it, and the ski tips must stay beyond the gate. A sitting skier gets one push out of the start ramp. The start gate height for a sit-skier is 80 cm, and a start is valid within 5 seconds either side of the start time.

Starting order

Set by FIS points, in start groups of at most 15. At level 0 the best seven are drawn for numbers 1 to 7 and the rest for 8 to 15. In a two-run race the first 30 of the first run start the second in reverse order.

Gate fault and stopping

A competitor who misses a gate must not continue through further gates. If the skis come to a complete stop, the competitor may not continue in downhill, super-G or giant slalom, but in slalom may if not in the way of the next skier. After losing one ski without a fault, a skier may carry on if not interfering.

See also: Downhill, Super-G, Giant slalom, Slalom

Re-run

A competitor who is blocked or obstructed, or stopped by a yellow flag, must stop and may apply for a new run, which the jury can grant if possible. The re-run counts even if slower.

Yellow flag

A flag the jury places on the course and waves to stop a competitor, for example after a fall. A skier waved down must stop at once and has the right to a re-run.

Not Permitted to Start

A competitor is not permitted to start (NPS) for breaking the equipment rules, including the adaptive equipment rules, refusing a medical examination, training on a closed course, having no ski brakes or crash helmet, or not making a timed downhill training run.

Disqualification

Competitors are disqualified for racing under false pretences, endangering people or property, missing a gate or not starting in time (a guide's mistake counts against the competitor), or racing in adaptive equipment FIS has not approved.

Guides and vision impairment

Guide distance

The guide must stay within four gates in slalom, three in giant slalom and two in super-G and downhill, excluding delay gates and vertical combinations, or the athlete is disqualified.

See also: Downhill, Super-G, Giant slalom, Slalom, Guide

Guide position

Vision impaired athletes in all classes except AS1 always ski behind the guide, and AS1 skiers do in level 0 and 1 races. Physical contact between guide and athlete during the race, including through the equipment, is not allowed and brings disqualification.

Changing guides

An athlete may use different guides in different races, named before the final entries. After the start list, a guide may be replaced only for injury or illness or with the jury's approval, and not between the two runs of a two-run race.

Guide bib

A bib that guides wear, with a clear 'G' on the front and the FIS logo, in pink, yellow or orange. At level 0 it is a bib supplied by FIS.

Blacked-out goggles

Goggles with no view that every AS1 competitor must wear in competition. The model is the competitor's choice, and the jury can check them.

Course inspection for vision impaired athletes

Vision impaired skiers may begin the course inspection ten minutes before the others, and noise from public address systems and snow machines is kept to a minimum on the whole course.

Bluetooth headset

A vision impaired athlete and guide may use headsets fixed to the crash helmet to talk, as long as they do not affect the helmet's safety.

Adaptive equipment

Equipment approval

At level 0 an athlete may only use equipment FIS has approved, and at other levels equipment that is approved or provisionally approved. New equipment goes through an application, and its status can be provisionally approved, pre-approved (valid everywhere except World Cups, World Championships and the Paralympics) or approved. Racing in unapproved equipment is a disqualification.

Prosthesis and orthosis

A prosthesis replaces a missing limb part and an orthosis supports a limb. The rules limit the length with the device on: for one upper limb it may not exceed the other limb with the fist closed to grip a pole, and for the legs there is a maximum standing height for bilateral amputees.

Ski lengths for vision impaired skiers

Men in AS1 and their guides may use 155 cm skis in slalom, and AS1 athletes and guides may use giant slalom skis in the speed events. Slalom skis are otherwise at least 155 cm (women) or 165 cm (men).

Classification

Eligible impairments (para alpine)

The physical impairments that qualify are impaired muscle power, limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired passive range of movement, hypertonia, ataxia and athetosis. Vision impairment, from damage to the eye, optic nerves or visual cortex, is the other eligible type, and refractive error alone is not.

Vision minimum impairment criteria

To be eligible a vision impaired athlete needs a static visual acuity of LogMAR 0.6 or worse, or a binocular visual field of 70 degrees or less. Measurements are made with the best correction, and a change in optical correction must be declared.

Oxford scale

The muscle strength score used in the class profiles. For example LW1 is a total of under 35 across both legs (normal 80) and LW2 under 20 in one leg (normal 40).

Observation assessment

A classification panel's observation of an athlete in competition, if needed to finish an evaluation, looking at control, balance and edging at the start, in turns and through gates. The panel then allocates a class or asks for parts of the session to be repeated.

Sport class status (para alpine)

Shows whether an athlete must be assessed again: Confirmed (C), Review (R) and Review with a Fixed Review Date (FRD), after New (N) before a first evaluation. A panel with only one classifier cannot give Confirmed or FRD.

All Para alpine skiing words