But only one sport really embodies the Winter Olympics.īobsleigh. And Figure Skating is about as technical and awe-inspiring as anything. Downhill Skiing may be the most-exhilarating sport ever put on TV. Moritz in 1948.Īfter the 1948 Olympics Skeleton was dropped, but reappeared again as a permanent event at the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Winter Games.Ice Hockey has had its moments in history. Moritz in 1928 and was included when the Games returned to St. When did it first become an Olympic event? But others think the term skeleton comes from people incorrectly pronouncing the Norwegian word “kjaelke,” which means “sled.” Some thought the sled looked like a skeleton and it’s said that’s how the sport got its name. It's from the fact that the first bobsled racers bobbed their heads back and forth to try and increase the speed of the sled. Moritz when one of the men decided to try and beat everyone’s times by racing headfirst. Legend has it that British soldiers were sledding down a ski track in the Swiss town of St. The first luge tracks weren’t built until 300 years later. But at first, the sport took place on hills. Then a shell was added to make the sport safer. Two skeleton sleds were attached together, along with a steering system. Its top speed (Spoiler alert: They’re all very fast!)
(Photo by JOHANN GRODER/AFP/Getty Images) Then the athlete zips down the track in that position - with his or her chin barely off the surface of the ice. This is the only one of the three sports that starts with the athlete already on the sled.Ī lone racer runs alongside the sled and jumps onto it headfirst. Then they lie on their back and whip down the course. Using their hands, the racer pushes themselves forward along the ice for a short distance. The athlete rocks back and forth and then launches themselves forward onto the track. While sitting on the sled feet-first, the first racer grabs hold of steel handles on the side of the track. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images For IBSF) The front racer controls the steering, while the rider in back is responsible for the brakes. Eventually, the crew leaps in and heads down the track.
(Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)īobsled: Racers start running along the ice track while pushing the sled. The sled has no brakes.Ī flat, rectangular sled with steel runners underneath. Racers steer by angling their body on the track’s twists and turns. And there are brakes found inside the sled as well.Ī flat sled with bars on either side for the racer to hold on to as they lie down. The steering is done with a special rope system. Looks like a capsule and has steel runners on the bottom of it. But just how do these three sled sports compare? Hop aboard as we uncover the differences between them. All three require a sled and a steep, icy track that winds down a mountainside. (Photos by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images, Richard Heathcote/Getty Images and Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images For IBSF)īobsled, luge and skeleton - they’re all high-speed sports at the Winter Olympics. < All Blog What are the differences between bobsled, luge and skeleton?
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