AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the third blog post in a seven-part series, titled Road to Pyeongchang, previewing the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang County, South Korea.
In most long track speed skating events in the Winter Olympics, a time trial format in which skaters compete against the clock over distances ranging from 500 meters (separate events for both men and women) to either 5,000 meters (for women) to 10,000 meters (for men) is used, with a maximum of two skaters on the ice at any given time. In recent Winter Games, there has been one exception to the traditional long track speed skating format, and that has been the team pursuit events (separate events for both men and women) in long track speed skating.
However, at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, there will be a second exception to the traditional long track speed skating format, and it will be in the form of mass start events for men and women, and it's probably the easiest of the new Winter Olympic events for me to explain how the event is contested.
Unlike the other long track speed skating events, in the mass start event, all competitors are on the ice at the same time, and, during the mass start event, skaters can skate in either of the two competition lanes of the long track speed skating oval with no requirement to switch lanes at any point in the event, meaning that the actual length of the oval used in the mass start event is actually slightly less than 400 meters. In the Winter Olympics, men and women will compete in different mass start events, although each event will be 16 competition laps in length, with, for safety reasons, one warm-up lap being run prior to the first lap of the actual race. However, it's a little more complex than just a straight-up race due to a points system that is used during each event.
At the end of the 4th lap, the 8th lap, and the 12th lap of each race, intermediate sprint points are awarded to the first three competitors to legally complete the 4th, 8th, and 12th lap of the event, respectively. Five points are awarded for first place in an intermediate sprint, three points are awarded for second place in an intermediate sprint, and one point is awarded for third place in an intermediate sprint. At the end of the 16th and final lap of the race, final sprint points are awarded to the first three competitors to legally finish the race. 60 points are awarded to the first skater to legally finish the race, 40 points are awarded to the second skater to legally finish the race, and 20 points are awarded to the third skater to legally finish the race. The points system is set up so that the first, second, and third skaters to legally complete the 16-lap event win the gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively, although the official finishing order for the non-medal positions are determined by most intermediate sprint points earned among non-medalists, with the tiebreaker being the order of finish at the end of the 16th lap, so it would be possible for a skater to be first at all three intermediate sprints, fall at some point in the final four laps of the event, be the last skater to legally complete the 16th lap, and still get credited with fourth place.
In most long track speed skating events in the Winter Olympics, a time trial format in which skaters compete against the clock over distances ranging from 500 meters (separate events for both men and women) to either 5,000 meters (for women) to 10,000 meters (for men) is used, with a maximum of two skaters on the ice at any given time. In recent Winter Games, there has been one exception to the traditional long track speed skating format, and that has been the team pursuit events (separate events for both men and women) in long track speed skating.
However, at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, there will be a second exception to the traditional long track speed skating format, and it will be in the form of mass start events for men and women, and it's probably the easiest of the new Winter Olympic events for me to explain how the event is contested.
Unlike the other long track speed skating events, in the mass start event, all competitors are on the ice at the same time, and, during the mass start event, skaters can skate in either of the two competition lanes of the long track speed skating oval with no requirement to switch lanes at any point in the event, meaning that the actual length of the oval used in the mass start event is actually slightly less than 400 meters. In the Winter Olympics, men and women will compete in different mass start events, although each event will be 16 competition laps in length, with, for safety reasons, one warm-up lap being run prior to the first lap of the actual race. However, it's a little more complex than just a straight-up race due to a points system that is used during each event.
At the end of the 4th lap, the 8th lap, and the 12th lap of each race, intermediate sprint points are awarded to the first three competitors to legally complete the 4th, 8th, and 12th lap of the event, respectively. Five points are awarded for first place in an intermediate sprint, three points are awarded for second place in an intermediate sprint, and one point is awarded for third place in an intermediate sprint. At the end of the 16th and final lap of the race, final sprint points are awarded to the first three competitors to legally finish the race. 60 points are awarded to the first skater to legally finish the race, 40 points are awarded to the second skater to legally finish the race, and 20 points are awarded to the third skater to legally finish the race. The points system is set up so that the first, second, and third skaters to legally complete the 16-lap event win the gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively, although the official finishing order for the non-medal positions are determined by most intermediate sprint points earned among non-medalists, with the tiebreaker being the order of finish at the end of the 16th lap, so it would be possible for a skater to be first at all three intermediate sprints, fall at some point in the final four laps of the event, be the last skater to legally complete the 16th lap, and still get credited with fourth place.
Comments
Post a Comment