The South American athletes are expected to compete in the following areas.
The thrill of the downhill, the technique of the slalom, the style of the giant slalom, the speed of the super-G and the versatility of combined.These are all the elements that have turned alpine skiing and its various disciplines into the most practiced of winter sports and the most beloved amongst fans of mountains and snow. One or two heats for a breathtaking race against the clock.
Alpine skiing events start on February 12th.
The strength and stamina of cross-country skiers combined with the lucidity and concentration of a marksman. The symbolic re-enactment of a primordial activity: hunting in the snow, the long treks on skis, glimpsing the prey, the coolness of a marksman.Power and precision, the ability to slide on the snow and aim looking the target in the eye: the sum of all this constitutes the very soul of the biathlon event.
The biathlon events start on February 11.
See the next page for more events the South American athletes will be competing in.
Two or four men, at the start all team members push together to achieve maximum speed. Then, everyone leaps in the sled with the pilot at the controls, choosing the fastest trajectory into the curves and down the straights at breathtaking speeds. Four heats to determine the winners, hurtling over the ice at more than 130 kilometres per hour.
Bobsleigh event starts on February 18.
Trails on the snow. Ski wax, legs, lungs. Five distances, varying for men and women. And two techniques: classic and freestyle. The type of the course, with some incredibly tough climbs, encourages an identification of the discipline with its origins in the Scandinavian territories, as a means of transport across the snowbound scenery.
Cross-Country Skiing events start on February 11.
Acrobats, as well as skiers. Tightrope walkers as well as athletes. Power is nothing without technique and body control for the freestyle athletes. The adrenaline rushing as heads duck down for a somersault. The skis are short, with the lure of a gold medal lying just beyond all those moguls, jumps and aerials.
Freestyle events start on February 11.
Supine, with feet pointing towards the finish and the only brake coming after the race has ended, when the athlete turns toward the results board, waiting to see his time. The origins of luge go way back in time. We have to retrace our steps to 800 A.D. to find the first evidence: luge was used in Norway, near Oslo, as a means of transportation and as a toy. Four races to decide which great champion will succeed in taking the gold in this event.
Luge events start on February 11.
First the thrill of the jump, where what counts is length, style and the elegance of technical expression; then the hard slog of cross-country skiing, demanding physical stamina and the athlete's fluidity of movements. This unique event originated in Northern Europe. The Norwegians dominate the Olympic podium, having taken 10 golds in the last 18 editions.
Nordic Combined event starts on February 11.
On a short track, at super high speed. Everyone against everyone, a coloured tandem on a ring of ice, or in relay teams try give each other a break as the race unfolds. Short track has been an Olympic discipline since Albertville 1992; Italy won its first gold medal in 1994 with the national men's 5,000 m relay team at Lillehamer. Some non-traditional Winter Games nations such as Australia and China lead the field when it comes to performance.
Short Track Speed Skaing events start on February 12.
Head tucked down, skimming just a few centimetres above the icy track, body movements guiding the sled along the run. Staring down the track at ice level, the last curve races towards them, then the finish line, with its rewards for those guided by courage and the most advanced aerodynamic materials. Shooting from the prone position of the descent to the highest step on the medal podium.
Skeleton events start on February 16.
Snow like the sea, moguls like waves, snowboards like surfboards. Leaping and racing in one of the most spectacular of sports; an emerging discipline that has already shown its muscles. A symbol of freedom and fashion, strongly linked to the young, which exercises an intense fascination on them.
Snowboard events start on February 12.
