Cross-country skiing, the oldest type of skiing, originated as a form of travel and became a sport in the late 19th century. 

Para cross-country skiing, which was introduced at the first edition of the Winter Paralympic Games in 1976, allows individuals with physical and visual disabilities to compete in races of different lengths using one of two skiing techniques: classic or freestyle. 

Classic technique requires athletes to move their arms and legs back and forth in a diagonal stride while keeping skis parallel inside grooves of snow. Freestyle technique, which typically is the faster of the two methods, requires athletes to move their skis side to side in a manner that resembles ice skating. Both the classic and freestyle technique also are part of the Olympic cross-country skiing program. 

In para cross-country skiing, athletes compete in one of three categories: sitting, standing or vision impaired. Standing skiers compete using conventional cross-country skis, while sitting skiers use a sit-ski, or a chair equipped with a pair of skis. Athletes competing in the vision impaired category utilize a sighted guide to provide direction. Athletes may use poles to propel themselves in all three categories.  

Para cross-country skiing events begin on Sunday, March 8 and end on Sunday, March 15. 

There are four days of competition, beginning with the men’s and women’s sprint classic qualification, semifinals and finals on March 8. The men’s and women’s 20km individual events will be contested on March 11, with the 4x2.5km mixed team and open team relays following on March 14. Para cross-country skiing events conclude on March 15 with the men’s and women’s 10km individual finals. 

Stay tuned on the NBC Para Cross-Country Skiing page for broadcast and streaming information. 

Para cross-country skiing will be contested at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium at the Val di Fiemme. 

Val di Fiemme was the first location in the southern Alps to host a Nordic World Ski Championship, which took place in 1991. Since then, Tesero has established itself as a key destination in international Nordic skiing.

The venue will also host para biathlon as well as the Olympic cross-country skiing and Nordic combined events.