how long is the men's giant slalom course at the olympics

by Ibrahim Wuckert DDS 6 min read

Course The vertical drop for a GS course must be 250–450 m (820–1,480 ft) for men, and 250–400 m (820–1,310 ft) for women. The number of gates in this event is 56–70 for men and 46–58 for women.

The super-G course for the Beijing Olympics is 1,984 meters long and includes a vertical drop of 540 meters. While slalom and giant slalom are considered "technical" events, super-G is considered one of the "speed" events.Feb 10, 2022

Full Answer

What is the giant slalom?

Everything you need to know about the first men's tech race in the alpine skiing programme at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. The giant slalom is the first men's technical event, the fourth overall, in alpine skiing at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

Who won the men's giant slalom at the 2022 Beijing Olympics?

The men's giant slalom competition of the Beijing 2022 Olympics was held on 13 February, on " Ice River " course at the Yanqing National Alpine Ski Centre in Yanqing District. Marco Odermatt of Switzerland won the event. Žan Kranjec of Slovenia won the silver medal, and Mathieu Faivre of France bronze.

When was the first slalom at the Winter Olympics?

Slalom by itself was first competed in at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St Moritz, Switzerland and has been part of the Winter Olympics in every edition since. Switzerland’s Edy Reinalter was the first men’s slalom Winter Olympics gold-medallist in 1948.

What are slalom skis?

Slalom skis are generally the smallest among all events in alpine skiing, they have a minimum length of 165 cm (for men) and 155cm (for women). The bindings connect the boots to the skis.

How long is the giant slalom course?

1.5 to 3 milesFor men's international championship events, the downhill course is typically 2.4 to 5 km (1.5 to 3 miles) long, with a vertical descent of up to 1,000 metres (3,281 feet) and terrain of a steepness and difficulty appropriate to the skill and endurance of the competitors.

How long is the giant slalom at the Olympics?

Course. The vertical drop for a Super-G course must be between 350–650 m (1,150–2,130 ft) for men, 350–600 m (1,150–1,970 ft) for women, and 250–450 m (820–1,480 ft) for children. In the Olympic Winter Games, FIS World Ski Championships, and FIS World Cups, minimums are raised to 400 m (1,300 ft) for both men and women ...

How long is the Olympic ski course?

How long is a Winter Olympics downhill ski race? The downhill course for men's international championships is normally 2.4 to 5 km (1.5 to 3 miles) long, with a vertical fall of up to 1,000 m (3,281 feet) with terrain that is steep and demanding enough to test the participants' ability and stamina.

How long is a ski slalom course?

850 feetThe course is 850 feet (259m) long, but you should have a minimum of 600 feet (180m) of approach space on either end: at the very least, you should be looking at over 2,000 feet (600m) in length. Also. a regulation course is about 75 feet (23m) wide, but additional space.

How does giant slalom work at Olympics?

Giant slalom is considered a technical event. It features fewer and wider turns than slalom, and as a result, faster speeds. Each skier makes two runs down the slope. The times are added together, and the fastest total time determines the winner.

How does giant slalom work in the Olympics?

The slalom is the alpine event with the shortest course and the most turns. The giant slalom has fewer and wider, smoother turns. In both events, each skier makes two runs down two different courses on the same slope. The times are added together, and the fastest total time determines the winner.

How long is the men's downhill at the Olympics?

The "Rock" course was 3.152 km (1.96 mi) in length, with a vertical drop of 894 m (2,933 ft) from a starting elevation of 2,179 m (7,149 ft) above sea level....Alpine skiing at the 2022 Winter Olympics – Men's downhill.Men's downhill at the XXIV Olympic Winter GamesWinning time1:42.69MedalistsBeat Feuz Switzerland Johan Clarey France Matthias Mayer Austria2026 →4 more rows

How fast do giant slalom skiers go?

around 50 mphFor reference, athletes who compete in giant slalom typically reach speeds of around 50 mph, while slalom skiers clock in around 43 mph. While downhill may be one of the most basic courses in alpine skiing, it's also one of the most dangerous.

How steep is the Olympic giant slalom course?

At a 70 percent gradient, it's the steepest pitch on the course. Within six seconds, racers should reach speeds exceeding 80 miles an hour. The women's downhill, though slightly shorter (2,625 vertical feet vs. the men's 2,897), covers much of the same terrain, including the same finish.

How far apart are giant slalom gates?

Moreover, GS gates must be placed as follows: the distance between open gates is 22 ± 5 m with a maximum of three gates, including delayed gates, at a maximal distance of 35 m. At the delayed gates, a minimum distance of 15 m between the two consecutive gates is required.

How many runs does giant slalom have?

two runsLike the slalom event, the giant slalom consists of two runs, after which a skier's times are combined. The giant slalom course at the 2018 Winter Olympics was lined with 50 gates spaced farther apart than the gates in the slalom course, but not as far apart as the gates in the super giant slalom, as Reuters reported.

What's the difference between giant slalom and super-G?

Skiers make two runs for each event, and their times for both are combined. The Super G, as the Super Giant Slalom is known, is considered a speed event, and each skier makes only one run. The course is longer than the one for the Giant Slalom with a higher vertical drop.

How long is a giant slalom ski?

In an attempt to increase safety for the 2003–04 season, the International Ski Federation (FIS) increased the minimum sidecut radius for giant slalom skis to 21 m (69 ft) and for the first time imposed minimum ski lengths for GS: 185 cm (72.8 in) ...

When was the giant slalom added to the world championships?

The giant slalom was added to the world championships in 1950 at Aspen, Colorado, and debuted at the Winter Olympics in 1952 at Oslo, Norway, run at Norefjell. The GS has been run in every world championships and Olympics since. Originally a one-run event, a second run was added for men at the world championships in 1966, run on consecutive days, ...

What is a giant slalom?

Giant slalom. Giant slalom (GS) is an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles ( gates) spaced at a greater distance from each other than in slalom but less than in Super-G . Giant slalom and slalom make up the technical events in alpine ski racing.

Where was the first giant slalom?

The first giant slalom was set in 1935 on the Mottarone in Italy, over the Lake Maggiore, near Stresa, on January 20. After one month, the second giant slalom was set on the Marmolada in Italy's Dolomite mountains, by Guenther Langes.

When did the GS change to one day?

The world championships changed to a one-day format for the giant slalom in 1974, but the Olympics continued the GS as a two-day event through 1980. Also scheduled for two days in 1984, both giant slaloms became one-day events after repeated postponements of the downhills.

Is the GS a one day event?

Following the extra races added to the program in 1988, the GS has been scheduled as a one-day event at the Olympics. Upon its introduction, giant slalom briefly displaced the combined event at the world championships; it was absent in 1950 and 1952.

Skiers to watch out for in Soelden

All the biggest names of Giant Slalom are expected in Soelden for the first race of the World Cup season.

Format of the Soelden Giant Slalom

The Giant Slalom is Alpine skiing's fastest technical event. The ranking is based on two heats that take place on the same day, with the times added together to determine the winner. Skiers are required to pass through the gates and reach the finish line as quickly as possible.

Alpine skiing at Beijing 2022

There are 11 events in the Alpine skiing competition at the Winter Olympic Games covering Giant Slalom, Downhill, Slalom, Super-G, Alpine Combined and the Team Event.

Slalom skiing rules

Of the five events in alpine skiing, slalom is considered the fastest and the one with the quickest turns.

History of slalom skiing

Alpine skiing was first introduced in the 1936 Winter Olympics at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany with only a Combined event.

A display of awesome skiing skill

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Overview

Course

The vertical drop for a GS course must be 250–450 m (820–1,480 ft) for men, and 250–400 m (820–1,310 ft) for women. The number of gates in this event is 56–70 for men and 46–58 for women. The number of direction changes in a GS course equals 11–15% of the vertical drop of the course in metres, 13–18% for children. As an example, a course with a vertical drop of 300 m (984 ft) would have 33–45 direction changes for an adult race.

Speed

Although giant slalom is not the fastest event in skiing, on average a well-trained racer may reach average speeds of 40 km/h (25 mph).

Equipment

Giant slalom skis are shorter than super-G and downhill skis, and longer than slalom skis.
In an attempt to increase safety for the 2003–04 season, the International Ski Federation (FIS) increased the minimum sidecut radius for giant slalom skis to 21 m (69 ft) and for the first time imposed minimum ski lengths for GS: 185 cm (72.8 in) for men and 180 cm (70.9 in) for women. A maximum stand height (the distance from the snow to the sole of the boot) of 55 mm (2.17 in…

History

The first giant slalom was set in 1935 on the Mottarone in Italy, over Lake Maggiore, near Stresa, on January 20. After one month, the second giant slalom was set on the Marmolada in Italy's Dolomite mountains, by Guenther Langes.
The giant slalom was added to the world championships in 1950 at Aspen, Colorado, and debuted at the Winter Olympics in 1952 at Oslo, Norway, run at Norefjell. The GS has been run in every world c…

See also

• List of Olympic medalists in men's giant slalom
• List of Olympic medalists in women's giant slalom
• List of Paralympic medalists in men's giant slalom
• List of Paralympic medalists in women's giant slalom

External links

• Media related to Giant slalom skiing at Wikimedia Commons

Skiers to Watch Out For in Soelden

  • All the biggest names of Giant Slalom are expected in Soelden for the first race of the World Cup season. Last year, Alexis Pinturault took home the big globe, but he also won the small one in Giant Slalom. He will attempt to hold onto it after he won last season's crown with a mere 51-point advantage over Marco Odermatt. But things may well change when it comes to the 2021/22 Wor…
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Format of The Soelden Giant Slalom

  • The Giant Slalom is Alpine skiing's fastest technical event. The ranking is based on two heats that take place on the same day, with the times added together to determine the winner. Skiers are required to pass through the gates and reach the finish line as quickly as possible. At the end of the first run, the 30 best skiers qualify for the second run. Then, on a different course, they start i…
See more on olympics.com

Alpine Skiing at Beijing 2022

  • There are 11 events in the Alpine skiing competition at the Winter Olympic Games covering Giant Slalom, Downhill, Slalom, Super-G, Alpine Combined and the Team Event. The competition will take place at the National Alpine Ski Centre in the Yanqing competition zone from 6 February to 19 February 2022.
See more on olympics.com