Pursuit racing
Encyclopedia
Pursuit racing is where two or more competitors (or teams) are either chasing after each other or chasing after a lead competitor or team.
The modern pentathlon
is formatted such that the final event, a cross-country run, is essentially a pursuit race. Athlete performance in the prior four events determines the times in which they start the race. The idea is that the first athlete to cross the finish line wins the entire event.
In Biathlon
and Cross country skiing, this is the second part of a Sprint-Pursuit race where the Sprint winner will start first, whoever started second by a certain time will follow the leader by that time (e.g., 1st finished 5 seconds ahead of the 2nd in the Sprint event so 1st will start 5 seconds ahead of 2nd in the Pursuit event.).
In Nordic combined
, the pursuit is determined how well the competitors or team do in the ski jumping
part of the competition. This is part of the Gundersen method
developed in the 1980s. For the 15 km individual and 7.5 km sprint competitions, the computation is a 1 point advantage at the ski jump equals a 4 second advantage at the start of the cross country skiing part of the competition (e.g., Competitor A finished with 5 more points than Competitor B in the ski jump, so Competitor B must start 20 seconds after Competitor A in the cross country skiing portion of the Nordic combined.). For the 4 x 5 km team event prior to 2005, the computation is a 1 point advantage at the ski jump equals a 1.5 second advantage in the cross country skiing part of the competition. Since 2005, that computation is one point equals one second.
In cycling
pursuit racing is a form of track racing, see:
Short- and long-track speed skating
also have pursuit races.
The modern pentathlon
Modern pentathlon
The modern pentathlon is a sports contest that includes five events: pistol shooting, épée fencing, 200 m freestyle swimming, show jumping, and a 3 km cross-country run...
is formatted such that the final event, a cross-country run, is essentially a pursuit race. Athlete performance in the prior four events determines the times in which they start the race. The idea is that the first athlete to cross the finish line wins the entire event.
In Biathlon
Biathlon
Biathlon is a term used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines. However, biathlon usually refers specifically to the winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting...
and Cross country skiing, this is the second part of a Sprint-Pursuit race where the Sprint winner will start first, whoever started second by a certain time will follow the leader by that time (e.g., 1st finished 5 seconds ahead of the 2nd in the Sprint event so 1st will start 5 seconds ahead of 2nd in the Pursuit event.).
In Nordic combined
Nordic combined
The Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in both cross-country skiing and ski jumping.- History :While Norwegian soldiers are known to have been competing in Nordic skiing since the 19th century, the first major competition in Nordic combined was held in 1892 in Oslo at the...
, the pursuit is determined how well the competitors or team do in the ski jumping
Ski jumping
Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
part of the competition. This is part of the Gundersen method
Gundersen method
The Gundersen method is a method in the Nordic combined developed by Gunder Gundersen, a Nordic combined athlete from Norway, that was first used in the 1980s...
developed in the 1980s. For the 15 km individual and 7.5 km sprint competitions, the computation is a 1 point advantage at the ski jump equals a 4 second advantage at the start of the cross country skiing part of the competition (e.g., Competitor A finished with 5 more points than Competitor B in the ski jump, so Competitor B must start 20 seconds after Competitor A in the cross country skiing portion of the Nordic combined.). For the 4 x 5 km team event prior to 2005, the computation is a 1 point advantage at the ski jump equals a 1.5 second advantage in the cross country skiing part of the competition. Since 2005, that computation is one point equals one second.
In cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
pursuit racing is a form of track racing, see:
- Individual pursuitIndividual pursuitThe individual pursuit is a track cycling event where two cyclists begin the race from a stationary position on opposite sides of the track.The event is held over 4 km for men and 3 km for women. The two riders start at the same time and set off to complete the race distance in the...
- Team pursuitTeam pursuitThe team pursuit is a track cycling event similar to the individual pursuit, except that two teams, each of up to four riders, compete, start on opposite sides of the velodrome.- Race format :...
Short- and long-track speed skating
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
also have pursuit races.