Team pursuit

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[edit] Cycling

The team pursuit is a track cycling event similar to the individual pursuit, except that two teams, each of up to four riders, compete, start on opposite sides of the velodrome. The objective is to catch and overtake the other team, but most events are decided on the fastest time over the distance, normally 4,000m.

Riders in a team follow each other closely in line to minimise total drag, and periodically the lead rider (who works the hardest) peels off the front, swings up the track banking and rejoins the team at the rear. Since the winning team is decided by the third rider, it is common for one rider to drop out towards the end.

[edit] Speed Skating

In long track speed skating, team pursuit was a new event in the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided in February 2004 to add this event, which was allowed due to available competition days after restructuring the Olympic competition schedule for speed skating. The event was introduced at international level at the world junior championships around the turn of the millennium, and to the World Cup in 2003. Turin in 2006 was the first Winter Olympics to host the event.