Sweden wins first gold medal of PyeongChang Winter Olympics

Charlotte Kalla of Sweden won the first gold medal up for grabs at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, in the women’s 7.5 km + 7.5 km skiathlon cross-country Saturday afternoon.

The PyeongChang Winter Olympics officially kicked off with the opening ceremony on Friday night.

Cross-country skiing is about gliding across a snow-covered field on skis in the shortest amount of time. The course is composed of three equal segments of uphill, level, and downhill fields, while athletes must employ classic or skate skiing techniques.

Athletes preparing to start.

The event is not limited to the ski slope like alpine skiing but can be enjoyed wherever the field is covered with snow, allowing participants to appreciate the natural beauty of the track. It has the further advantage of having a lower risk of injury compared to other skiing events. The Winter Olympic Games presents a total of 12 events divided equally into six each for men and women.

There will be six kinds of cross-country skiing competitions: individual, skiathlon, sprint, team sprint, mass sprint and relay.

Skiathlon means that all athletes will start together, with women running 15km and men running 30km. Athletes will cover the first half of the course with classic techniques and the second half with skate skiing techniques.

(CGTN & PYEONGCHANG 2018.COM)