Cesana Pariol
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Cesana Pariol was the venue for bobsled, luge and skeleton during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. The track, built for the games, is located in Cesana. The venue holds approximately 7,130 spectators, of which 3,624 are seated.
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[edit] Construction details
The track is constructed with about 54 miles (87 km) of ammonia refrigeration pipes to help form ice on the track for proper sliding. Numerous sensors located along the track ensure that the ice's thickness is kept between 5 and 10 cm (2 to 4 inches) to keep the track properly smooth during competitions.
[edit] History
During construction of the track prior to the 2006 games, there was concern that the track would be completed in time for homologation. A minor archaeological find (Roman ruins) during construction slowed progress until the remains were excavated (near the current Turn 11).
The track was completed in late 2004. In January 2005, the FIBT and FIL held their homologation events at the track. The FIBT had no issue when they ran their events during the weekend of January 21-23, 2005. The following week, the FIL ran their events, and had several crashes. Included in the crashes were Austria's Wolfgang Linger (broken ankle and calfbone), Brazil's Renato Mizoguchi (medically-induced coma), and the U.S. Virgin Islands' Anne Abernathy (collarbone). During the summer of 2005, discussions were held among TOROC (the organizer of the 2006 Games), FIBT President Robert H. Storey (Canada), and FIL President Josef Fendt (Germany) about refitting the track for safety reasons. An agreement was reached by all three, and turns 16 through 18 were modified as such. The track was finally modified in late 2005 in time for homologation. Test runs done by Italy's Armin Zöggeler in late October 2005 led to the track being homologated on October 31, 2005 after it had been approved by former German national team coach Josef Lenz and FIL track commission chair Klaus Bonsack.
Cesana Pariol is now part of the complex called Torino Olympic Park. Post-Olympic usage for the tracks includes bobsleigh rides for the public.
[edit] Statistics
| Sport | Length of track (meters) | Number of turns |
|---|---|---|
| Bobsleigh, skeleton, and luge - men's singles | 1435 | 19 (11 left and 8 right) |
| Luge - women's singles and men's doubles | 1233 | 17 (9 left and 8 right) |
The venue includes a vertical drop of 114 meters from start to finish.
| Turn Number | Name | Reason named |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Champlas | Local town near the track. |
| 2. | Gancio | Italian for "Hook" |
| 3. | Il Muro | Italian for "The Wall". Women's singles and men's double luge have their start house after this turn. |
| 4., 5. | Gemelli | Italian for "Twins". |
| 6., 7., 8. | Toro | Italian for "Bull". Also for the toroid or torus shape of these three turns. It is also an Omega-shaped curve. |
| 9. | Cesana | The comune where the track is located. |
| 10. | Nino Bibbia | 1948 Winter Olympics gold medalist in skeleton at St. Moritz. Italy's first gold medalist in bobsled, luge, or skeleton. |
| 11. | Museo | Italian for "Museum". An archeological find was found near this turn during track construction. |
| 12., 13. | Chicane | Shape of these curves. |
| 14. | Chaberton | After the Chaberton Mountains that the inside of this curve faces. |
| 15. | Lavatrice | Italian for "Washing machine" |
| 16. | Compressionie | Italian for "Compression". From the compressive forces put upon the body during the maneuvering of the sled through the turn. |
| 17. | Senza Nome | Italian for "Without Name". 17 is considered an unlucky number in Italy. |
| 18. | Pariol | The village in Cesana where the track is located. |
| 19. | Eugenio Monti | Six-time Olympic medalist and 10-time bobsled World Champion medalist from 1957 to 1968. |
| Sport | Record | Nation - athlete(s) | Date | Time (seconds) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luge - men's singles | Start | David Möller -  Germany |
February 12, 2006 | 2.461 |
| Luge - men's singles | Track | Albert Demtschenko -  Russia |
February 13, 2006 | 51.396 |
| Luge - women's singles | Start | Silke Kraushaar - Germany |
February 14, 2006 | 4.320 |
| Luge - women's singles | Track | Sylke Otto - Germany |
February 13, 2006 | 46.820 |
| Luge - men's doubles | Start |  Italy - Christian Oberstolz & Patrick Gruber |
February 15, 2006 | 4.629 |
| Luge - men's doubles | Track | Germany - Patric Leitner & Alexander Resch |
November 19, 2005 | 46.691 |
[edit] Championships hosted
Since the 2006 Winter Olympics, the track has served as a World Cup venue for both the International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation and the International Luge Federation. It hosted the 2008 FIL European Luge Championships during January 7-13 and will host the 2011 FIL World Luge Championships (Dates TBD).
[edit] References
- ^ As of January 13, 2008.
- Canadian skeleton racer Lindsay Alcock's diary during 2005 FIBT homologation of Cesana Pariol for the 2006 Winter Olympics
- Discovery Channel.co.uk article on the track construction prior to the 2006 games
- FIBT.com profile - Click on video clip of this run from a bobsleigh perspective. Men's single luge start house is shown on the left at the start of the run while the women's singles and men's doubles luge entrance appears after the third turn.
- FIBT, FIL, and TOROC meet to modify track for safety reasons
- FIL approves track for use for the 2006 Winter Olympics
- FIL awards FIL World Luge Championships 2011 to Cesana, Italy (lists 2008 European championships that the venue will also host).
- FIL-Luge track profile
- Safety issues addressed following the unsuccessful luge homologations in January 2005
- US Slider Tony Benshoff (Luge) describes parts of the track during a typical run.
- NBCOlympics.com track animation of Cesana Pariol (delinked. Site no longer exists).
- TOROC meets with FIL Executive Committee in late 2004 prior to completion of construction of Cesana Pariol.
- Torino Olympic Park listing of public bobsleigh rides.
[edit] External links
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