i am a competitive ski racer.
[{"role": "system", "content": "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 (USSA) 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 (in-track) 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 (and prizes) in the 18th century. Starting in the latter part of the 20th century, technique evolved from the striding in-track classic technique to include skate-skiing, which occurs on courses that have been groomed with wide lanes for those using the technique.\n"}, {"role": "user", "content": "I love Cross-country skiing."}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "the sport of cross-country skiing has a variety of formats that are put on display throughout the US and canada"}, {"role": "user", "content": "What kind of courses do these events occur on?"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "races ocur over homogated, groomed courses along with freestyle type track events"}, {"role": "user", "content": "Do they just race or are there other elements to the competition?"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "well there are different types of races, which include forms of a biathlon, where racers race cross-country and then stop to shoot at targets with rifles."}, {"role": "user", "content": "That's so cool. When did Cross-country skiing become a sport?"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "Well the norwegian army units began skiing for sport back in the 18th century!"}]