▁teams ▁of ▁three ▁sk aters . ▁R aces ▁res emble ▁the ▁team ▁purs uit ▁event ▁in ▁track ▁cy cling . ▁Two ▁teams ▁race ▁at ▁a ▁time , ▁starting ▁at ▁a ▁line ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁straight away . ▁One ▁team ▁starts ▁on ▁each ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁track . ▁Only ▁the ▁inner ▁l ane ▁is ▁used . ▁The ▁distance ▁is ▁eight ▁la ps ▁for ▁men ▁and ▁six ▁for ▁women . ▁The ▁team ' s ▁time ▁is ▁the ▁third ▁sk ater ▁to ▁cross ▁the ▁finish ▁line . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁several ▁formats ▁for ▁the ▁team ▁purs uit . ▁The ▁Olympic ▁format ▁is ▁unusual ▁in ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁cup ▁format , ▁with ▁several ▁r ounds ▁of ▁ex clusion ▁between ▁two ▁teams . ▁In ▁the ▁World ▁Cup ▁and ▁World ▁Championships , ▁one ▁race ▁is ▁sk ated ▁and ▁the ▁teams ▁are ▁ranked ▁by ▁their ▁finishing ▁time . ▁In ▁the ▁Olympic ▁format , ▁a ▁team ▁that ▁over t akes ▁the ▁other ▁has ▁automatically ▁won ▁the ▁race ▁and ▁the ▁remaining ▁distance ▁is ▁not ▁sk ated . ▁In ▁practice , ▁the ▁distance ▁is ▁so ▁short ▁that ▁this ▁rarely ▁happens ▁unless ▁one ▁team ▁has ▁a ▁fall . ▁ ▁The ▁team ▁purs uit ▁is ▁a ▁new ▁event ▁in ▁major ▁international ▁compet itions . ▁ ▁The ▁event ▁was ▁introduced ▁at ▁international ▁level ▁at ▁the ▁world ▁junior ▁champion ships ▁around ▁the ▁turn ▁of ▁the ▁mill en ni um , ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁World ▁Cup ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁considered ▁an ▁official ▁IS U ▁event ▁until ▁around