Super Giant Slalom (Super G)
Super G combines the giant slalom features with downhill skiing. It is a speed race, where the skiers move as fast as 90km/hour. There are usually at least 35 gates on the race course for men and 30 for women through which the skiers have to pass. The number of gates is determined proportionally to the vertical drop of the course. It is one of the youngest Alpine disciplines. It was introduced at the Olympics in Calgary, Canada, in 1988. The race only has one round, and the skier with the best time wins. As with other slalom races, the super G also allows the skiers only a visually checking of the race course before the start, they are not allowed to have a practice run.
Downhill skiing
It is the fastest and one of the oldest Alpine disciplines. It has been a regular part of the Olympic programme since 1948. The standard course length is between 1½ and 2½ minutes. In the fastest parts, the skiers go as fast as 130 km/hour; at the famous course in Kitzbühl they may go as fast as 150 km/hour. The course is marked with gates, which are not intended for passing through. Time is measured with the precision of a hundredth of a second. The race only has one round; the skier with the best time wins.
Alpine Combined Competitions
The Combined is the oldest Alpine Olympic discipline. Although it was the only Alpine discipline in Garmisch–Partenkirchen in 1936, it disappeared from the programme after the Second World War. It was re-established in 1988, at the Olympics in Calgary. At the Olympics and World Championships, the Combined is a separate discipline; in the World Cup series it only takes place rarely. The Combined consists of one round of downhill and two rounds of slalom. All the times are added and the winner is the skier with the best total time.
In order to make this discipline more attractive, and encourage more skiers to participate, the International Ski Federation introduced a new format for this race in 2005 – the so-called super Combined. The super Combined consists of one round of slalom and downhill, and has currently practically replaced the original Alpine Combined.
Additional Races
In order to make this sport even more attractive, new disciplines are being introduced, such as parallel slalom and giant slalom, performed on two parallel courses along with K.O. races and team competitions.
The team competition was first performed at the World Championships in Bormio, Italy, in 2005. There were six members of each team (3 men and 3 women), from which 2 started in the Super G slalom and 2 in the slalom. The team with the lowest sum of places in each of the disciplines was the winner.
New format of team competitions
At the World Cup final in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in March 2010, a new format for the team race was tested for the first time, the team parallel slalom. In a knockout system of a tournament, the 16 best national teams were ranked according to their standings in the Nations Cup. There were always two teams comprised of two men and two women competing against one other. The winner of each race scored a point. The team with the most points made it to the next round. In the case of a 2:2 draw, the team with the fastest time won.
It should be stated at this point that the winner of the first Team Parallel Slalom in the FIS World Cup was, surprisingly, the team from the Czech Republic, represented by Lucie Hrstková, Šárka Záhrobská, Ondřej Bank and Kryštof Krýzl.
Due to the highly attractive format, the quick pace of the tournament, the dramatic spectacle for spectators and the high TV rating, the FIS decided to continue with the development of this discipline. As a result, there will be three of these races during the following season. The World Cup series will open and close with this team event. In addition, this race was included in the programme of the 2011 World Championships.
And in the same format (with only a minor modification: in case of a draw, not only the best time will decide, but the sum of the times of the fastest man and the fastest woman from each team) this team event will be held at 2011 EYOWF in the Liberec Region.
ABOUT VENUE - SPORTS VENUE JEŠTĚD
The sports venue Ještěd lies at the foothill of the Ještěd Mountain (1012 metres above sea level), the dominant feature of Liberec and its surroundings. Recently, it has been modernized and thus the venue became one of the most modern ski facilities in the Czech Republic.Visitors can find here 12.5 km of downhill race courses, of which 95 % may be covered with an artificial snow. One cabin cableway, two 4-seater chairlifts, one 2-seater chairlift, and five lifts are available here to transport skiers. The venue shares facilities with a ski jump complex.
The venue is easily accessible from the city. Almost directly at the entrance to the venue there is the terminal of a tram that goes across the whole Liberec. Directly next to it is the central car park.
Two local ski slopes will be used for the purposes of Alpine Ski competitions during the 10th European Youth Olympic Winter Festival 2011. The ski slope “Under the Cables" leading under the cabin cableway route will be used as the race slope. The “Slalom course" slope will serve as a training slope. Both ski slopes are equipped with snowmaking technology.
The competition facilities and the refreshment area for athletes will be located in the new service building of the venue, which is situated on the slope at the outrun of the ski jumping hills. The facilities for media, the Organising Committee and VIP will be at the finish point of the race, i.e. at the run-out of the downhill course Pod Lany.
Past competitions held in the Venue Ještěd:
World Cup Masters 2005
National Championships in Alpine Skiing
Games of the IV Olympic Days for Children and Youth of the Czech Republic