Winter Olympics Glossary
Each sports discipline has its own terminology, important both for communication and competition. Considered a precise language for each sport’s category or a working tool for experts and journalists, but also a sign of belonging to a specific tribe of sports fans.
Hockey
Assist: A stat players are awarded for helping teammates score goals.
Boarding: A penalty assessed to a player for knocking another player into the boards on purpose.
Body check: When a player uses the hip or shoulder to disrupt progress of an opposing player.
Breakaway: A one-on-one scoring opportunity between a player and the opposing goaltender.
Charging: An penalty in which a player checks an opposing player on purpose after taking more than two steps.
Crease: A half circle in front of the goal where no players are allowed except the goaltender. Goals are usually nullified if a player scores from inside the crease.
Faceoff: The referee drops the puck between two opposing players who battle for possession. Takes place at the beginning of each period or after a stoppage of play.
Hat trick: When a player scores three goals in one game.
One-timer: When a player takes an immediate shot on goal off a teammate's pass.
Power play: When a team has more players on the ice because of a penalty on the opposing team.
Short-handed: When a team is forced to play with fewer than six players because of penalties.
Slap shot: The quickest hockey shot in which a player makes a sweeping motion with a backswing to accelerate the puck.
Wrist shot: A finesse shot in which a player shoots the puck with a flick of the wrist.
Zamboni: A machine that's used to resurface and clean the ice.
Luge
Bridge:The sled's support legs, which connect the seat to the runners.
G-force: Inertial force, equal to the force of gravity that holds the bobsled to the wall on turns.
Kreisel: A curve that turns into a circle when the track crosses over or under itself.
Kufen: A runner of the sled.
Labyrinth: A combination of little curves, with little or no straightaway.
Omega: A curve that resembles the Greek letter.
Paddling: Using spiked gloves, the action of pulling oneself forward during the start motion.
Pod: The aerodynamic shell attached to the bottom of a sled.
Steels: The only parts of the sled to touch the ice. Steels are runners attached to the fiberglass kufens.
Nordic combined
Classical technique: Skiers make long, straight strides in parallel tracks set roughly 7-12 inches apart. Skiers may only leave the grooved path when making a pass.
Freestyle technique: Athletes are allowed to push off both legs, in a skating-style approach. Skiers propel themselves by putting pressure on the inside edges of their skis.
Glide wax: Used to decrease the friction between skis and snow.
Grip wax: Also know as kick wax, it increases the friction between skis and snow to aid traction.
K Point: A location on the landing area used to determine a score's deductions or additions.
Large hill: The ski jumping hill used in Nordic combined's sprint event.
Normal hill: The hill used in Nordic combined's individual and team events.
Out-run: The area at the bottom of the hill where skiers land and stop.
Telemark position: To land with one ski in front of the other while lunging forward.
V position: The position in which most jumpers keep their skis during flight. With this technique, the skis touch or nearly touch at the tail and spread apart at the tips.
Vertical: An uphill climb.