CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: Australia is fielding teams in both the men's and women's team sprint classic events with an opportunity to improve on the nation's best ever Olympic finish in the format.
Phil Bellingham and Seve de Campo will represent Australia on the men’s side, while Jess Yeaton and Casey Wright take to the Zhangjiakou National Cross-Country Skiing Centre course in the green & gold.
At PyeongChang 2018 Jess teamed up with Barbara Jezersek and came 12th to achieve Australia’s best ever finish in the team sprint. Casey gets her first Olympic opportunity at the team sprint with Jess.
Last week Jess and Casey competed in the women's 10km classic, where Jess came away in 51st place and Casey 67th out of the strong field of 98 skiers.
Phil gets his third crack at the teams event and has a new teammate for the first time since Sochi 2014 in Seve. Phil will set a new Olympic Personal Best if he and Seve finish higher than 21st place (Phil finished 21st in the team sprint at Sochi 2014).
The competition consists of two semi-final heats and a final. In the semi-final heats each skier will complete the sprint course three times each, alternating each lap with their teammate, for a team total of six laps. The winning team is the first to cross the finish line after completing all six laps.
Competitors must perform a correct exchange between laps by physically touching their teammate without interfering or obstructing other teams.
The top two teams from each semi-final heat will advance to the final, and the next six fastest teams will advance. Ten teams contest the final, which will follow the same rules as the semi-finals.
Catch the women’s semi-finals live from 6:15pm AEDT, the men’s semi-finals from 7:15pm AEDT, the women’s final from 8:15pm AEDT and the men’s final from 8:45pm AEDT on Channel 7 or 7plus.
Jeff Dickinson-Fox
#HaveAGo
Cross-Country Skiing
CAN YOU SKI IN AUSTRALIA?
Yes! There are 10 Ski Resorts in Australia that are easy to access.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Skiing is very affordable to #HaveAGo. You can rent all the equipment you need which is a low-cost way to try snowsports.
WHAT KIT DO I NEED?
All you need to get going is skis, poles, ski boots, a helmet, snow jacket, gloves and pants. All these items can be rented from ski shops to help get you started without having to buy everything for your first time.
