About Cross-country skiing
Nordic Skiing is a test of endurance and technique, with competitors racing across long distances. Taking place on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at Whistler Olympic Park (WOP), this event challenges participants to push themselves through demanding conditions using adaptive techniques.
Competitors will showcase their stamina, resilience, and mental toughness as they navigate the rugged course. Nordic Skiing at the Invictus Games highlights each competitor’s journey of recovery, embodying the spirit of perseverance and commitment that defines the Games.
WHAT ARE THE RULES?
Nordic or cross-country skiers will use the classic skiing technique only.
Results are based on the fastest factored time which allows for various impairments to compete on an even playing field.
There are two individual events:
- Novice (approximately 750 m)
- Intermediate (approximately 1500 m)
HOW ARE COMPETITORS CATEGORISED?
The categorisation process aims to ensure the best possible competitor experience at the Invictus Games. The Invictus Games is a unique competition which enables all participants to compete fairly across all sports, no matter their impairment type.
Each sport has a different categorisation system as the different injuries, illness and impairments affect competitors in different ways in each sport. Each competitor is allocated a category (e.g. IT1, IJ4) for each sport that they compete in. The categorisation system relies on integrity and honesty, and a collaborative relationship between all competitors, and all team staff.
New for the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 is that within the new Winter Snowsports of Nordic (Cross-Country & Biathlon) and Alpine (Skiing & Snowboarding) time factors will be applied. Time factoring is where a competitor’s raw time (i.e. the time it takes to go from the start to finish line) has a percentage applied to it. The percentage corresponds to the sub-category the competitor’s impairment is categorised as. This is to increase the number of competitive events within the new winter sports whilst still providing the fair playing field. And so, someone may appear to cross the finish line first but not appear first in the official results once the time factor is applied.
HOW DID THE SPORT COME TO BE?
Para Nordic (cross-country) skiing first appeared in the 1967 Winter Paralympic Games in Sweden. The classic skiing technique was used until the 1984 Winter Paralympic in Innsbruck (Austria) introduced free technique.
HOW MANY COMPETITORS ON THE COURSE AT ONE TIME?
Cross-country events will use an interval (staggered) start format with competitors starting at 30 second intervals. Because of this, the number of competitors on the course will be determined by how quickly each competitor skis the course.
HOW LONG IS THE COURSE?
- The sprint course is approximately 750 m – equivalent to 164 average car lengths!
- The endurance course is approximately 1500 m – equivalent to the length of 25 NHL hockey ice rinks!
INTERESTING FACTS
- Para Nordic Skiing is the collective name for two different Para sport disciplines: Para Biathlon and Para Cross-country skiing.
- Cross-country is the oldest form of skiing!
- For competitors, sit-skis consist of a seat on a frame mounted with bindings onto two Cross-country skis.
CEREMONIES
SPORT
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