Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Nordic Combined

Men have competed in Nordic combined individual events since the first Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The team event was introduced at the Calgary 1988 Winter Games, while the sprint event joined the Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games in 2002.

The two disciplines of Nordic combined (ski jumping and cross-country skiing) are more contradictory than complementary. Training methods for cross-country skiing focus on endurance capacity while the ski jumping focuses on explosive strength. To succeed in Nordic combined, an athlete must effectively balance these demands.

Nordic combined athletes must have a very high strength-to-weight ratio. Athletes must be light in order to maximize aerodynamics and flying distance while at the same time maintaining a high level of endurance capacity for the cross-country discipline. Because of the competing demands of light weight and heavy physical exertion, proper nutrition is of the utmost importance.

taken from: http://www.vancouver2010.com

Utah Olympic Park and Soldier Hollow. Bill Demong, Johnny Spillane, and Jessica Jerome.

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