Giant slalom

The Giant Slalom ( in Austria mostly as a giant, RTL, referred to ) is a discipline in alpine skiing and grass skiing. The umfahrenden to gates are set to take place constantly changing direction. In contrast to the slalom but is still a liquid, moving rhythm possible. A match consists of two runs, the times are added.

Differences between the slalom and giant slalom

Giant slalom racers are traveling faster. Than slalom, because a giant slalom course has fewer goals, which are to each other at a greater distance than in slalom This requires significantly less swings, making the racers can accelerate more. However, the distance is longer than in slalom, so the best times of passage at 80 seconds is less. Giant Slalom gates consist of two double - rods which are connected by a wide strip of plastic, while slalom gates consist only of two single bars of the same color (blue or red).

In the slalom, the swings are much shorter, so the racers are traveling in a closer and more direct fall line. The racers are thus much closer to the poles approach, which is why they have to chip off with your hands to keep the center of gravity as close to the fall line. In contrast, the fall line in the giant slalom is less direct, and the gates are much further apart. Thus, the drivers come less in contact with the gates and encounter these if necessary with the inner shoulder away rather than by hand.

While slalom were run in two passes since time immemorial, this is the giant slalom in principle only from the 1966 World Cup or the World Cup starting in January 1967 ( men) and from the racing season 1977/78 (women ) of the case; also been largely discharged these two passages on two consecutive days in both the World Cup and at the World Championships and Olympic Games in the early days of this new regulation ( practically applicable only to men's giant slalom race with two passes ). This new regulation with two passes was so used to, that even the print media for the classifications headings like " First Race ", " Second race " and " overall rankings " used, with whether the fact that the runs anyway took place over two days (so was also read from the first run, a larger report), this wording was more understandable.

Same for slalom and giant slalom is the startup sequence, although with respect to those in the second period until the start of the 1971/72 season, the so-called Bibbo rule ( named after its "inventor", the Swede Bibbo Nordenskjold ) was applied, which also currently ( with some alterations) is valid. Previously, it was starting groups of 1 to 15, 16-30, 31-45, etc. - and in the second round started the actors according to their race number in toppled order (ie, now 15-1, 30-16, etc. - of course, to the extent that not one actor from falling, other basic task or has already taken place disqualification was already absent ). Only with the former giant slalom in Val d'Isere (9 December 1971 victory for the Norwegian Erik Haker ) the second passage was settled in accordance with the placement from the first run for the first time. Subsequently, there were several race seasons to a "super - Bibbo rule" (the first five of the first round started in toppled order in advance, and then the other from rank 6 in "normal" order). Only in the second half of the 1980s, which also currently applicable additional restriction on the number of starters in the second round has been introduced whereby this the first thirty of the first run are eligible only. Evidence: Worker newspaper, Kronen-Zeitung Vienna (including December 10, 1971 ), SPORTS Zurich ff

Alpine Skiing

Ski and Goals

The skis used for giant slaloms are longer and stiffer than slalom. The gates are designed so that they bend flexible to the touch by the driver. They are also less firmly anchored in the snow as slalom gates. This means they offer less resistance when a racer fits its slot, and be swept away by this; thereby the risk of injury is minimized.

To increase security, put the World Federation FIS for the 2007 /08 season determines the radius of the sidecut for giant slalom ski at 27 m ( men) and 23 m ( women). For the first time ever, minimum lengths were introduced for skis, 185 cm for men and 180 cm for women. However, the best skiers took less sidecut, Ted Ligety eg 29 m, 27 m and Lindsey Vonn. For the 2013/2014 season, the FIS increased the radius of the waist of 35 m and a minimum length of 195 cm for men and at 30 m radius and a minimum length of 188 cm for women. Many athletes have criticized this decision. Often this David Dodge is quoted. Dodge believes that the studies used by the FIS for the new regulations had no scientific evidence. He also indicates that only 7 ° more needs to tend a ski with 35 m sidecut to the same curve radius to drive like a ski with 28 m sidecut. This, however, means that the knee within the line ski edge - comes to rest gravity, which increases the risk of injury. He states that since the 1990s, back injuries in the knee area.

In the World Cup, the height difference of a giant slalom run in the men at least 250 and less than 450 meters is; with the ladies at least 250 and at most 400 meters.

History

1905 organized Mathias Zdarsky in Lilienfeld under the name betting driving a door travel, the course resembled a modern giant slalom. The gates were called driving times, near quickness fall- free driving was considered. Regardless put the Englishman Arnold Lunn in the 1920s, the rules for downhill and slalom.

The FIS resulted in the giant slalom in 1950 at the World Championships in Aspen as the fourth discipline in addition to downhill, slalom and combined one. The first gold medal winners were Dagmar Rome and Zeno Colò. The most successful participants in title bouts are Deborah Compagnoni, each with two Olympic victories and world titles and Alberto Tomba with two Olympic victories and a world championship title.

Since the introduction of the World Cup giant slalom is an integral part of this series. Traditional venues of the World Cup giant slalom in Adelboden are the Chuenisbärgli, Alta Badia, the Gran Risa slope, Kranjska Gora with the Vitranc Cup and Maribor with the Golden Fox. Since 1999, the World Cup Seasons to open in late October with a giant slalom for men and women on the Rettenbachgletscher in Sölden every year. The most successful athletes in the Giant Slalom World Cup are Vreni Schneider, who has won four times the discipline standings and 20 individual races, and Ingemar Stenmark with eight overall victories and 46 won races.

Grasski

A giant slalom is at least 80 m height difference, in the World Cup and World Championships at least 100 m, a maximum of 150 m for women and 180 m for men. The number of changes of direction is about 11 to 15 % of the height difference, so for example, 14 changes of direction at 100 m height difference. The rules for the course setting are retained by the FIS in the International Competition Rules. For the startup sequence, the same rules apply as in the slalom.