CROSS-COUNTRY SCHEDULE

» Day 4 » Day 8 » Day 11 » Day 14 » Day 17 Monday, Feb. 15 Friday, Feb. 19 Monday, Feb. 22 Thursday, Feb. 25 Sunday, Feb. 28 Women’s 10-km Women’s 15-km Men’s and women’s Women’s 4x5-km relay Men’s 50-km individual pursuit (7.5-km classic, team sprint *11:30-1:05 p.m. mass start *10-11:15 a.m. 7.5-km free) 10:45-12:20 p.m. *9:30-12:15 p.m. *1-1:50 p.m. Men’s 15-km individual *1-1:45 p.m. Six men’s events and *12:30-2 p.m. six women’s events will be contested over » Day 6 » Day 9 » Day 13 » Day 16 nine days at the 2010 Wednesday, Feb. 17 Saturday, Feb. 20 Wednesday, Feb. 24 Saturday, Feb. 27 cross-country skiing Men’s and women’s Men’s 30-km (15-km Men’s 4x10-km relay Women’s 30-km venue. sprint classic classic,15-km free) *11:15-1:10 p.m. mass start 10:15-11 a.m. *1:30-3 p.m. *11:45-1:45 p.m. *Indicates medal event *12:30-2 p.m.

DECONSTRUCTING THE GAMES CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: Nordic passion An event with a long Olympic history, this sport is all about variety. Canwest News Service writer Mike Beamish explains:

THE COURSE Classic or freestyle Canadian Olympic team member Devon Classic technique Kershaw explains the differences between Free technique the classic and freestyle ski techniques:

N CLASSIC:“The classic technique is the one most people conjure in their head,” 0.1km0.1km Kershaw says.“It’s very much like linear 2 km running.All your energy is going forward in a linear motion.” 1 km Classical skis are longer than freestyle skis (typically 205-210 cm for men and 195- 200 cm for women).They have a sticky substance in the middle for grip and are 3 km designed with more pronounced tips. START

2 km 1 km 3 km B IATHL O N FINISH T R RANG E A T S

H IS IN FINISF

Eleven different course configurations and seven stadium variations will be used for cross-country skiing over the course of the Games.“Unlike a hockey rink, with a static field of play, there are so many different cut-offs, permutations and formats for cross-country skiing,”says Len Apedaile, manager for cross-country skiing at .“Another aspect of the sport is that athletes ski two different techniques [freestyle and classic]. The sport is all about variety.”

COURSE ELEVATION,IN METRES 3.75 km Red course, Classic techniqe FREESTYLE:“The skating style is obviously 930 a newer technique,”Kershaw says.“I like to 920 think of it as a hockey player with 190-cm 910 900 skates and a hockey stick replaced with 890 poles.You’re transferring weight from one s

e 880 r ski to another in a V pattern like ice skating.” t

e 870

M 860 Freestyle skis are shorter than classical skis 850 0 250 500 750 1,000 1,250 1,500 1,750 2,000 2,250 2,500 2,750 3,000 3,250 3,500 3,750 (190-195 cm for men and180-185 cm A B for women).The tips are lower to the snow. C u.t. (k) Laid on a hardwood floor,a freestyle ski Desc. will have a slightly higher camber (bow) 3.75 km Blue course, Free techniqe than a classical ski. 890 880 s e r

t 870 e

M 860 850 0 250 500 750 1,000 1,250 1,500 1,750 2,000 2,250 2,500 2,750 3,000 3,250 3,500 3,750 A B C u.t.(k) THE ATHLETES Big engine There is no substitute in this Desc. sport for a “big engine”,or what scientists refer to as “maximal oxygen consumption”. Height and weight Arm strength Generally,Olympic cross-country skiers are heavier than distance runners but not An improvement in arm strength as heavy-set as rowers.While there is no relative to leg strength is needed MEDAL FAVOURITES perfect body type in the sport,shorter with today’s faster skis,which WOMEN MEN and stockier athletes gravitate to the require more force to be generated Virpi Kuitunen,Finland Emil Joensson,Sweden sprint events where explosive power from the upper body.This is partic- rules.Unlike running or cycling,cross- ularly true in classic skiing,which The good:Won three gold The good:The explosive skier uses a lot of double-poling action. medals at the 2007 world won both individual and team country skiing is a whole body sport. championships. events at a pre-Olympic test in The bad:Served a two-year suspension Whistler. and relinquished a world championship The question:Is Joensson ready SMART FACTS silver medal for using a banned substance. to supplant countryman Bjorn Lind, 1.WHISTLER 2.THE COST: 3.A FEMALE- 4.A CLASSIC 5.FROM RUSSIA, a double gold medallist at the OLYMPIC PARK $120 MILLION FRIENDLY SPORT CHALLENGE WITH LOVE Justyna Kowalczyk,Poland 2006 Games? The good:In 2006,she became Situated in the Whistler Olympic Since 1928, ’s Chandra Ivan Babikov has the first Polish athlete to win an ,Norway Callaghan Valley, Park had the highest when Canada Crawford,a surprise lived in Canada since Olympic cross-country medal The good:The “Sidney Crosby” 10 kilometres from price tag for Olympic first participated gold medallist in the 2003,but will race for (a bronze in the 30-km event). of Norwegian cross-country the Sea to Sky organizers. in Olympic cross- women’s freestyle his adopted home at skiing,Northug won three gold Highway south of At $178 million,the country skiing, 1.1-km sprint at the an Olympics for the The bad:Suspended by FIS for Whistler,it’s the first Richmond Olympic no Canadian male 2006 Olympics, first time in 2010. taking a banned substance but medals at the 2009 world championships. Olympic venue to Oval cost more, athlete has won a will face a supreme A threat in the 15-, reinstated six months later on appeal. include ski jumping, but a number of medal in the sport. challenge to defend 30- and 50-km events, The bad: Despite winning four gold at the Sara Renner,Canada cross-country and components were Beckie Scott won her title this year. as well as the relay, junior worlds,this rising star was left off the biathlon in the same underwritten by the Canada’s first She will be required in January 2009,he The good: Won a silver medal 2006 Norwegian Olympic team. network.Each City of Richmond Olympic medal to win in 2010 using became the first male in team sprint with teammate ,Canada competition venue is and didn’t fall under on skinny skis,a gold her less favoured Canadian skier since Beckie Scott at the 2006 just 300-400 metres Vanoc’s budget. in the 5-km pursuit classic sprint 1988 to top a World Olympics after a Norwegian The good: Precociously from the next. in 2002. technique. Cup podium. coach replaced her broken ski talented son of , pole. considered Canada’s greatest The skinny: A strong starter male cross-country skier,won EQUIPMENT ADVANCES SINCE 2006 who stays out of trouble, two bronze medals in his first season on the World Cup circuit. Manufacturers,who first experimented with the use of graphite and carbon fibre to make poles Renner will pair with Chandra lighter,have introduced carbon plates to give ski boots more torsional rigidity.In addition, Crawford,a wicked finisher, The skinny: He’ll anchor our Olympic relay carbon has replaced more conventional materials at the tips and tails of skis to reduce in the 2010 women’s team sprint. team,a pressure-filled job for a 21-year-old. Carbon lite the swing weight and the thickness of the sidewall.With less drag, ski boot skiers are able to go faster with more control. 2010FOR MORE ON THE 2010 WINTER GO TO VANCOUVERSUN.COM/2010 GRAPHICS:BY ROGER WATANABE AND MAGGIE WONG/VANCOUVER SUN