Which Olympic sport uses a "piste"?

Which Olympic sport uses a “piste”? Fencing. In fencing, the piste is the narrow strip on which two competitors face one another with épée, foil, or sabre.

The word comes from French and means “track” or “path.” A standard fencing piste is 14 metres long and generally between 1.5 and 2 metres wide. Fencers use footwork to advance, retreat, and lunge while trying to score valid touches.

The three Olympic weapons have different target areas and rules. Foil targets the torso, épée allows touches anywhere on the body, and sabre targets the body above the waist, including the head and arms. Electronic scoring equipment registers many modern touches.

The piste is not a general name for every sports surface. Equestrian events use arenas or courses, archery uses a range, and shooting uses a firing range. Fencing has been part of the modern Olympic programme since 1896.