Para cross-country skiing words · Intermediate

The words that make the commentary make sense. They build on the beginner words.

I · Intermediate · 41 words · Step 2 of 2

General terms

Competition levels

The Paralympic Winter Games (PWG), FIS World Championships (WSC), the Para Cross-Country World Cup (WC), continental cups (COC), the FISU World University Games, international FIS races, open national championships and para roller ski races.

FIS code

The code an athlete must hold to compete. Para cross-country codes and ordinary cross-country codes are separate.

Age limits

Competitors and guides must have reached 16 by the end of the calendar year in which the season ends. Juniors may be no older than 20 in that year. The FIS season runs from 1 July to 30 June.

Prizes and guides' medals

Medals at the World Championships and the Paralympics go to the top three in each event. A guide who skied the full course with a vision impaired athlete gets the same medal or prize.

See also: Guide

Categories and sport classes

Standing classes

LW2 is a unilateral lower-limb impairment through or above the knee and LW4 one below the knee, LW3 a bilateral lower-limb impairment, LW6 a unilateral upper-limb impairment through or above the elbow and LW8 one below the elbow, LW5/7 a bilateral upper-limb impairment, and LW9 an impairment of both upper and lower limbs. In LW2 and LW3 the athlete must ski on two skis with two poles.

Sitting classes

Sit-skiers are in LW10, LW10.5, LW11, LW11.5 or LW12, set by trunk and hip muscle scores and a board test (0 to 2 for LW10 up to 12 for LW12). LW10 has the most limited trunk function.

Vision impaired classes

NS1 is light perception without measurable acuity or none, NS2 is LogMAR 2.3 to 3.5, and NS3 is LogMAR 0.9 to 2.2 or a visual field of 60 degrees or less. To be eligible an athlete needs acuity of LogMAR 0.9 or worse or a field of 60 degrees or less.

NS1 shades

Athletes in NS1 (unless they have prostheses in both eyes) must wear their own approved opaque shades or glasses for the whole event, with nothing visible. Athletes who cannot wear them must cover the eyes with an opaque covering.

The ruleHow do blind cross-country skiers race?

New athlete class

An athlete not yet internationally classified has the status New and may only race at lower-level events, in the class with the highest factor in the category: NS3 for vision impaired, LW4 for standing and LW12 for sitting.

Results and percentages

Real time

The finish time minus the start time, truncated to a tenth (distance races, relays, para mass starts) or a hundredth of a second (sprint qualification).

Delta time

How much faster, in real time, a skier would have had to ski to tie the winner's calculated time. It is shown on interval start and sprint qualification results.

See also: Real time, Calculated time, Sprint

Basic time

The reference used to set start times in a pursuit or wave start: the real time of the athlete who gave the reference time, multiplied by that athlete's percentage. Athletes with a lower percentage (more severe impairment) start earlier and those with a higher percentage later, rounded to whole seconds.

Technique factor

A multiplier used when a para mass start is in a different technique from the reference race: 0.88 from classical to free and 1.14 from free to classical, reviewed each spring. It applies to the standing and vision impaired categories.

Combined relay percentage

A relay team's percentages, added over the four legs, must be at most 335 per cent in a mixed relay and 375 in an open relay. Each woman counts 15 per cent less per leg and each sitting athlete 12 per cent less (27 for a sitting woman).

Photo finish

Ties are decided by the order in which the toe of the front foot crosses the finish line, and for a sit-skier the front binding.

Formats

Sprint heats

From 12 qualified sitting or standing athletes there are two semi-finals of six, with the best three of each going to a final of six. Vision impaired athletes race semi-finals of four with the best two advancing. Athletes choose start lanes in order of their qualification times.

Mixed relay and open relay

Teams of two, three or four racing four legs of 2.5 km, with classical technique on the first and third legs and free on the second and fourth. A mixed relay needs both genders, and each nation can enter one team per relay at the Paralympics and World Championships.

Relay options

In option A the first and third legs are on the sitting course in classical technique and the second and fourth on the standing and vision impaired course in free technique. In option B the first two legs are on the sitting course and the last two on the standing course.

Starts and exchanges

Start window

In an interval start the skier may start from 3 seconds before to 3 seconds after the start signal. Earlier is a false start and must be reported to the jury, and later is a late start with the start-list time counting. The feet (or the front binding for a sit-skier) stay behind the start line.

Mass start grid

Starts in an arrow or angled grid, with number 1 in the best position, begin two minutes before the signal, with warnings at one minute and 30 seconds. A false start means the race is restarted.

Pursuit start

Start times follow the percentage calculation from an earlier race, with no electronic gate and a large clock. A skier in the vision impaired category may be held at the start by a team member or official until the start.

Bibs

Skiers wear start bibs, and in a para mass start, sprint heat or relay finish a number on the leg or on the side of the sit-ski nearest the finish camera. Relay legs have colours: red, green, yellow and blue for the first to fourth legs.

See also: Para mass start, Sprint, Sit-ski

Relay exchange

The exchange zone is at least 10 m wide and 15 m long, and no physical contact is needed. The next skier can start as soon as the incoming skier's whole body has crossed the line in the zone, and starts from a stationary position. An early start costs a minimum 30-second penalty.

Guides

Guide contact

No physical contact between guide and athlete during the race, except that for safety a guide may hold the athlete by one arm or one pole without pushing, pulling, skating or striding. After a fall, a guide or marshal may hand over skis or poles.

See also: Guide

Changing guides

A guide change can only be made in a marked guide exchange area, and the second guide must be named with the final entries. One change is allowed in a race over 5 km and two over 10 km. A guide may not guide more than one athlete on the same day.

See also: Guide

Guide bib

A bib that guides wear, with a clear 'G' or 'Guide' on the front, preferably yellow, or orange or red.

See also: Guide

Sit-ski and equipment

Sit-ski strapping

A sitting athlete must stay seated, with the ischial tuberosities in contact with the seat for the whole competition. The upper thigh and hip are strapped as close to the hip joint as possible with non-flexible material anchored to the rear of the seat frame.

The ruleWhat is a cross-country sit-ski?

Sit-ski steering

A sitting athlete may not use one or both legs to steer or brake the sit-ski during competition. A fallen sit-skier may be helped back to the track by officials or coaches and must re-enter at the same place.

Prostheses (cross-country)

A device replacing an absent or deficient limb part. For standing athletes with lower-limb prostheses the rules give formulas for the maximum standing height based on sitting height and sex.

Adaptive equipment registration

National associations must register athletes' equipment: sit-skis with their anchor points and strapping, prostheses and orthoses, arm-to-body strapping, vision eyewear and seat cushions.

Rules of the race

Para technique rules

Classical technique covers the diagonal stride, double poling, herringbone and turning steps, and single or double skating is not allowed. Athletes whose lower-limb impairment makes the herringbone impossible on steep climbs may use an adaptive half herringbone. Free technique includes all techniques.

Obstruction

Deliberately impeding, blocking, skiing between an athlete and the guide, or charging or pushing another competitor. It is not allowed, and an intentional one in a sprint heat can lead to disqualification and let the obstructed athlete advance.

Passing

In an interval start a skier being passed must give way on the first demand, with exceptions for sitting skiers. In other races the skier in front chooses the line but must not obstruct one behind. A pass is complete when the passer's body is ahead of the other's ski tips.

Own propulsion

Competitors must cover the whole distance on their skis using only their own means of propulsion, and pacemakers from outside are not allowed.

Equipment exchange

A pole may be changed only if it is broken or damaged. Skis may be changed only if broken, and a ski exchange is done off the track. Waxing, structuring or cleaning the ski base during the race is forbidden, though in classical distance races skiers may scrape and add kick wax.

Lapped relay teams

A relay team that is lapped or told to stop by officials must abandon the race and is ranked, without a time, by its last intermediate timing point. The jury may let all teams finish.

Temperature limit

If the temperature at the coldest point of the course is below minus 20 degrees C, the jury postpones or cancels the race.

Invalid result marks

The result codes for a skier who has no valid time: DNF (did not finish), DSQ (disqualified), DNS (did not start) and NPS (not permitted to start). RAL means ranked as last.

Course width categories

The course table sets minimum widths by format: category A (3 m) for classical interval starts, B (4 m) for free interval starts and classical relays, C (6 m) for classical mass starts and sprints and free relays, and D (9 m on uphills) for free mass starts and sprints.

Classification

Eligible impairments (para Nordic)

Seven physical impairment types (including impaired muscle power, limb deficiency, leg length difference, hypertonia, ataxia and athetosis) and vision impairment qualify. The class is chosen by the classification panel from all the criteria together, not from any one.

Sport class change

A change of class during a competition (for example after an observation assessment or a protest) takes effect from the athlete's next race, never between phases of the same race. Earlier results stay valid.

All Para cross-country skiing words