Skicross added for 2010 Winter Games

Daily News Wire Services
Posted: November 29, 2006

The rough-and-tumble freestyle event of skicross is in for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Women's ski jumping will have to wait to be considered for 2014.

The International Olympic Committee yesterday approved skicross - similar to snowboard cross - for the Vancouver Games, but rejected women's jumping and five other events.

The IOC executive board also overhauled the process for selecting sports for future Summer Games, and partially lifted its freeze on payments to the international amateur boxing association to encourage reforms in judging and scoring. The board released $300,000 out of $1.1 million in frozen funds to the International Amateur Boxing Association, with the money to be used by national federations to buy video equipment for scoring.

Skicross involves groups of skiers racing each other to the bottom of a course with jumps, rollers, banks and other manmade and natural terrain features. The competition is part of the International Ski Federation's World Cup freestyle circuit, which also includes the Olympic events of aerials and moguls.

The IOC said skicross has a "strong appeal for the young generation."

Snowboard cross debuted at the Winter Games in Turin 10 months ago and drew big crowds and good ratings.

The Vancouver skicross events will feature 32 men and 16 women competing in the same format as the snowboard version. The two gold medals will bring the number of medal events in Vancouver to 86.

Noteworthy

* North and South Korea are using the Asian Games to mend fences despite a growing rift over the North's recent missile launches and nuclear test.

The two Koreas plan to march together at Friday's opening ceremony - a proposal the North suggested this month - and intend to discuss a joint team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. *

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