Tom Fulop of Team Yukon's contingent literally thrust himself to a silver ulu Monday morning in the open men's knee hop.

The knee hop is no different than any of the individual categories in the Arctic Sport event: it requires strength, technique, and the mental composure to put them together simultaneously.

Knees together, flat on the gym floor with their legs stretched out behind, the athletes must rely on the inertia from their swinging arms, whatever spring they can muster from their lower torso, and the compression of stomach muscles to catapult them forward.

A veteran of four consecutive Arctic Winter Games going back to 2006 on Alaska's Kenia Peninsula where he first won silver in the junior men's knee jump, the 21-year-old Fulop sprung to a distance of 137.5 centimetres yesterday.

His effort fell 4.1 centimetres shy of the gold medal performance by Tonny Fisker of Greenland. The record for the men's knee jump stands at 155 centimetres, established in the 1984 Games in Yellowknife, and tied in the 1986 Games hosted by Whitehorse.

It was Fulop's third silver ulu in the knee jump, the first coming in Kenia, the second two years later in Yellowknife, and two years ago in Grand Prairie, he missed the bronze by a hair.

Fulop said in an interview from the Arctic Sport venue at Vanier Catholic Secondary School that his training was nothing specific but more a matter of ensuring general fitness.

He grins modestly when asked about his success or the secret to it, as though its just part of what you get when you're out having a little fun.

The Whitehorse resident was a little more direct when talking of his expectations for the one-hand reach yesterday afternoon.

The one-hand reach requires strength, but as much balance as anything.

Athletes are required to elevate their entire body and hold it suspended on one hand, while reaching skyward to touch a ball suspended on a piece of string.

"The one-hand reach, I just can't do it,” said Fulop. "It just doesn't work for me.”

"They are all different,” added Teena Dickson, co-coach of the Yukon's Arctic Sport team and a veteran of 10 Arctic Winter Games, both as a coach and an athlete who competed in five different sports, including Arctic Sport.

Dickson said as much as the individual Arctic Sports are unique, they each offer something to help the athletes in the other categories, which is why her athletes participate in all events.

"They all cross over a little,” she said. "If you get better in the two-foot high kick, you'll get better in the one-foot.”

It's not uncommon, Dickson said, to have gymnasts pick up a flare for Arctic Sports, or break dancers, as is the case with this year's team.

Team member Seo Juhyun, a South Korean who's attending school in Whitehorse, is internationally reknown for his break dancing skills, she pointed out.

Dickson said while poise and strength are essential, some of the individual events require a little more of one than the other.

Generally speaking, she said, the events are scheduled through the week according to physical requirements.

The knuckle hop – literally hopping on one's knuckles – goes at the end because

"there's not much left of their knuckles,” Dickson said.

"You wouldn't be able to go and perform in a kicking event after the sledge jump, because your legs are Jello.”

The sledge jump involves a series of 10 small hurdles lined up, and the athletes keeping jumping until they can jump no more: up the line, and back down, turnaround, up the line and back down.

"I have seen them go 45 minutes,” said co-coach Josh Carr, who also competes as one of the Yukon athletes and placed fifth in the one-hand reach yesterday. "The Russians are crazy. They hold the record.”

Indeed they do.

Yamal's Rodin Roaldovich Taligin took home the gold ulu from the Kenia Peninsula after

recording a record 830 jumps, that's 830, and a record that still stands.

Both the sledge jump and knuckle hop are scheduled for Friday at Vanier, just before the closing ceremonies.