page_title: Cross-country skiing (sport)
section_title: FIS events
hierarchical_section_title: Cross-country skiing (sport) / Events / FIS events
caption_attribution_description: English: Venezuelan skier César Baena competing and training in the Czech Republic. Español: Esquiador Venezolano César Baena compite y entrena en Republica Checa. Suomi: Venezuelalainen hiihtäjä César Baena kilpailemassa ja harjoittelemassa Tšekin tasavallassa.
context_page_description: The sport of cross-country skiing encompasses a variety of formats for cross-country skiing races over courses of varying lengths according to rules sanctioned by the International Ski Federation and by various national organizations, such as the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association and Cross Country Ski Canada. International competitions include the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, the FIS Cross-Country World Cup, and at the Winter Olympic Games. Such races occur over homologated, groomed courses designed to support classic and freestyle events, where the skiers may employ skate skiing. It also encompasses cross-country ski marathon events, sanctioned by the Worldloppet Ski Federation, and cross-country ski orienteering events, sanctioned by the International Orienteering Federation. Related forms of competition are biathlon, where competitors race on cross-country skis and stop to shoot at targets with rifles, and paralympic cross-country skiing that allows athletes with disabilities to compete at cross-country skiing with adaptive equipment.
  Norwegian army units were skiing for sport in the 18th century.
context_section_description: The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships have been held in various numbers and types of events since 1925 for men and since 1954 for women. From 1924 to 1939, the World Championships were held annually, including years with Winter Olympic Games. After World War II, the World Championships were held every four years from 1950 to 1982. Since 1985, the World Championships have been held in odd-numbered years.
  FIS events include:
  The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships (also including ski jumping and nordic combined events)
  FIS Cross-Country World Cup: each year medalists are announced who have the highest total scores at the end of the World Cup season
  The Tour de Ski: modeled on the Tour de France of cycling, it is held annually during late December and early January in the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland, as part of the FIS Cross-Country World Cup (since 2006)
caption: Classical event during the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships of 2009 in Liberec, Czech Republic.
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