During sports competitions such as the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, athletes call on all their reserves of energy in the hope of carrying off a gold medal. But where does that energy come from?
For 17 days, during the 20 th Winter Olympics, 2 600 athletes were in competition on the slopes of Alpine resorts and on the skating rink in Turin. During events lasting from several hours to only tens of seconds, each competitor summoned all his or her energy in the hope of carrying off a title. To have the energy necessary and to use it as effectively as possible, each athlete had followed a tailor-made programme. All had adopted special diets, some had trained at altitude, others had even called on scientists to perfect their movements and optimise their energy usage.
The Winter Olympics in figures
- 17 days of competition;
- 7 centres hosted the competitions: Turin, Bardonecchia, Cesana, Pinerolo, Pragelato, Sauze d'Oulx, Sestriere ;
- 15 disciplines : biathlon, bobsleigh, Nordic combined skiing, curling, ice hockey, luge, figure skating, speed skating, speed skating sprints, ski jumping, skeleton bob, freestyle skiing, Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snow surfing;
- 84 titles at stake ;
- 85 participating countries;
- 2 600 athletes ;
- 2 500 coaches, technicians, doctors and team organisers ;
- 650 judges and referees ;
- 1 200 dope tests planned for the fortnight ;
- 1 million spectators ;
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