|
Cross country skiing is a winter sport which promotes superior physical conditioning while providing enjoyment for athletes of all ages. Cross
country skiing is appropriate for all ability levels, and requires little more than skis, boots, poles and a desire to exercise throughout the winter
months.
Over the past 20 years, the Special Olympics Cross Country Skiing Program has grown tremendously world wide. Today there are
approximately 30,000 athletes who participate in the program in 30 countries worldwide. At the Special Olympics World Winter Games in
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, there will be approximately 300 athletes competing in the cross country events.
There are several events in which an athlete can choose to participate. Like all Special Olympics sports, the events in cross country skiing are
designed to be appropriate for athletes of every ability level. The individual events offered in cross country skiing range from a 500 meter race
to a 10 kilometer race. There is also the opportunity for a team to compete in a 3 x 1 km or a 4 x 1 km race. For athletes who have low
ability levels, Special Olympics Cross Country offers events such as the 10-meter ski race.
There is also the opportunity to participate in Special Olympics Cross Country Skiing through Unified SportsŪ. Unified SportsŪ is a program that combines equal
numbers of Special Olympics athletes with peer athletes, without mental retardation (Partners) on sports teams for training and competition. For cross country skiing,
the individual times of the racers are combined to form a team score.
Coaches Resources
International Governing Body:
www.fis-ski.com
US Governing Body:
www.usskiteam.com
|
