Gear selection between techniques in freestyle cross-country skiing in athletes with intellectual impairment: A pilot study

Cross-country skiing is a fast-paced, a cognitively demanding, and a popular sport within international organizations including athletes with intellectual impairment (II); however, research on how the level of II affects skiing performance is limited. The aim of this exploratory study was to compare differences in the overall performance (segment time and race time) and gear selection between a sample of cross-country skiers with II (n = 22) and a control group of skiers without II (n = 12), during a competitive 10 km freestyle race. The groups were matched on training background and skiing level based on interviews with coaches and trainers. The independent samples t-test revealed a higher velocity in the first segment for the control group (6.10 +/- 0.62 m/s) compared to the skiers with II (5.50 +/- 0.56 m/s; p < 0.05), but no significant differences in total race time between the groups. With respect to their ability to effectively select gears during the races, there was a significant difference between the groups, where the pattern was that skiers with II used a lower gear compared to the skiers without II and that pattern became even more apparent towards the second half of the race. These findings support the assumption that impaired cognitive function may constrain the ability to optimally select the appropriate gear in function of the characteristics of the skiing track, which is a key determinant of skiing performance.