Things you wanted to know about the Olympics but were afraid to ask

By Ulrike John Feb 17, 2006, 13:33 GMT

Helio Freitas from Brazil after crossing the finish line following the mens 15km Cross Country competition at the Turin 2006 Winter Olymipc Games, Pragelato Plan, Friday 17 February 2006. EPA/GERO BRELOER

Turin, Italy - For those not quite so familiar with the sports at the Turin Winter Olympics, here is what you really want to know about them.

Is an accident similar to the hunting incident of United States vice-president Dick Cheney possible in biathlon? No, say the athletes.

'We're very safe with our equipment. We don't have 'accidents,'' said American Lanny Barnes.

The worst-case scenario is hitting the wrong targets like Norwegian Margit Andreassen did on Monday in the 15km. The penalty is five minutes in the individual race, five penalty loops in the relay.

Do athletes in curling sweat?

The sweepers definitely do. 'We sweep some 33.5 kilometres in each match,' says German team member Oliver Axnick. But at least the curlers don't have to lift the 20-kilo stone, just slide it.

What do alpine skiing athletes wear underneath their tight race suits? Long underwear, but that doesn't really help given the high- speed races. Skiers slip into warm jackets as soon as they reach the finish line. Downhill skiers also wear protective back girdles.

Do short track skaters learn how to fall? Only at young age. Afterwards the basic rule is either trying not to fall - and if worse comes to worst to turn away from the opponents and their razor-sharp blades and build up tension before you hit the cushions.

Is smiling mandatory in figure skating? Yes and no. It's not listed in the rule books but is part of the artistic impression. The ruling body ISU says that the purpose of ice dance especially is to generate joy. Russian 1998 Olympic champion Ilja Kulik admitted: 'I practise in front of a mirror.'

Do bobsleigh captains yell on the track? It doesn't really make sense because the bobsleighs are simply too loud when they hurtle down the track at almost 100kmh. But if a two- man sleigh has a rookie athlete the pilot may scream 'brake' once the finish line has been passed.

Can men and women compete together in double luge? In theory, but the international federation has dropped the idea of mixed luge because of sexual images of a woman and man in tight race-suits sliding down the track on top of each other. There are also practical problems because the women would normally have to lie under the man because the heavier slider is on top. But women don't have the same strength as men to push off at the start.

Who has priority in lane changes in speedskating? When the skaters change lanes on the back straight the skater from the outside lane is allowed to go first. But, like in everyday traffic, accidents do happen.

Has anyone ever broken his neck in skeleton? No. Accidents do happen but skeleton is actually safer than bob or luge even though the athletes throw themselves onto the course head-first. That is because the sled is very heavy at 40 kilos and is wider.

What happens if an athlete gets scared on top of a ski jumping hill? Ski-jumpers don't really have a fear of flying, otherwise they wouldn't compete on the hills. But German Alexander Herr once refused to jump in Kuopio, Finland, because the wind was too gusty. While he got off again, athletes normally have 190 seconds to start their jump once the green light is on for them.

Finally, is it just me or do others find cross-country skiing boring? No steep hills, no slalom gates, no jumps, no moguls, no rifle strapped to your back. And only a few races in a mass start format. Cross-country skiing is something for ski purists from Scandinavia. German Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle is a top athlete in the sport but even she admits that 'cross-country is a bit boring. There is more action for the fans in biathlon.'