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Learn About Olympic Ski-jumping and Nordic Combined

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There are three events in ski-jumping - the individual normal and large hill and the team large hill.

The normal hill is about 90 metres high while the large hill measures 120m. In both events, each athlete has two jumps and the competitor with the greatest total score is declared the winner.

The jumps are scored for distance and style.

In the four-man team event, each athlete takes two jumps. The team with the highest total score over the eight jumps is declared the winner.

The individual nordic combined competition consists of ski jumping from the normal hill and a 15-kilometre cross-country race.

Each competitor takes two jumps from the 90m hill with the two scores combined together.

The next day, the athletes contest a 15km cross-country race.

The start order is determined by the ski-jumping results, with the leader starting first and the others staggered behind.

The first person over the finish line is the winner.

The nordic combined sprint competition is composed of one jump from the 120m hill followed by a 7.5km cross-country race.

The four-man team competition involves one jump on the normal hill and a 4 x 5km cross-country relay race.

Olympic Ski-jumping

Athletes wear a special jumping suit - its thickness is limited to 5 millimetres (about two inches) to restrict the amount of air trapped inside the suit. Trapped air boosts a jumper's height and distance.

Skis are no wider than 11.5 centimetres to give maximum lift in flight.

A jumper's height is multiplied by 1.46 to determine his or her maximum ski length.

Jumpers use high-backed boots which offer firm support yet are also flexible enough for the skier to attain the "V" position in flight.

The bindings are attached to the toe of the boot. They must be placed along the length of the ski at least 57% below the ski tip.

The binding also contains a connection cord, which attaches the ski to the boot and prevents the skis wobbling in the air.

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Skiers go down the slope (known as the "inrun") with skis parallel.

As they reach the end of the ramp, they take off and put their skis into the aerodynamic "V-position" where the backs of the skis move together while the fronts move apart.

On landing, the jumper usually tries to lunge forward with one ski ahead of the other. This is known as the Telemark position.

They then enter the outrun, the flatter area at the bottom of the hill which allows the skier to slow down and come to a stop safely.

Jumps are marked on distance and style.

A jump to the "K point" (120m from take-off on the hill, 90m on the normal hill) is worth 60 points.

Each metre over or under that distance increases or decreases the score by two points.