A winter Olympic sport in which racers descend a snowy slope at high speed through a course marked by gates.
Origin and rules
Alpine skiing as a sport developed in 19th-century Norway and Austria. Racers descend a steep snowy course, weaving through pairs of poles called gates. The fastest combined time across one or two runs wins.
How it plays
Five Olympic disciplines exist: downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom, and combined. Downhill is the fastest with widely spaced gates; slalom is the most technical with tight turns. Racers can reach speeds above 130 kilometres per hour.
Competition
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup runs annually from October to March. The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships and the Winter Olympics are top championship events. Austria, Switzerland, Norway, France, and the United States lead the standings.