A modern bobsleigh team, the 2010 United States top two-man team. |
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| Highest governing body | Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Bobsled, King's class |
| First played | 1870s |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | nope |
| Team members | Teams of 2 or 4 |
| Mixed gender | Yes, but usually in separate competitions |
| Categorization | Winter sport, Time trial |
| Equipment | High-tech sled, Helmet |
| Venue | Bobsleigh tracks |
Bobsleigh or bobsled is a winter sport in which teams of two or four make timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sled. The timed runs are combined to calculate the final score.
The various types of sleds came several years before the first tracks were built in St. Moritz, Switzerland, where the original bobsleds were adapted upsized luge/skeleton sleds designed by the adventurously wealthy to carry passengers. All three types were adapted from boys delivery sleds and toboggans.
Competition naturally followed, and to protect the working class and rich visitors in the streets and byways of St Moritz, hotel owner Caspar Badrutt, owner of the historic Krup Hotel and the later Palace Hotel, built the first familiarly configured 'half-pipe' track circa 1870. It has hosted the sports during two Olympics and is still in use today.
International bobsleigh competitions are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT). National competitions are often governed by bodies such as the United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation and Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton.
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Although sledding on snow or ice had been popular in many northern countries, bobsleighing is a relatively modern sport. It originates from two crestas (skeleton sleds) being attached together with a board and a steering mechanism being attached to the front cresta. The beginnings of the Bobsleigh were humble, starting when English tourists were enticed to stay over the winter in the mineral spa town of St. Moritz, Switzerland by the successful marketing of hotelier Caspar Badrutt. Badrutt successfully 'sold' the idea of 'winter resorting' to some of his English regulars as he was annoyed with a four month long season for the rooms, food, alcohol and activities he sold. A year or two later some of his more adventurous English guests began adapting boys' delivery sleds for recreation and began colliding with pedestrians whilst speeding down the village's lanes and alleys and roads.
This had both short and long term outcomes: in the short term the guests began to scheme about and invent 'steering means' for the sleds, which became the luge, bobsleighs (bobsleds), and head-first skeleton. Long term, after a couple of more years of happy pedestrian peril, Badrutt built a special track for their activities—the world's first natural ice half-pipe track in about 1870. It is still in operation today and has served as a host track during two Winter Olympics. The track is one of the few natural weather tracks in the world - it does not use artificial refrigeration. The satisfied guests eventually enabled him to build the Palace Hotel, while holding onto the popular Krup Hotel (which catered to different clientele) and brought competition in as winter tourism in alpine locales became very popular.
The first informal races were run on snow-covered roads. The opening of formal competition was in 1884 at St. Moritz. It's not known how much the original track evolved in the early years as the three sports matured and stabilized. The first club was formed in 1897, and the first purpose-built track solely for bobsleds was opened in 1902 outside of St Moritz. Over the years, bobsleigh tracks evolved from straight runs to twisting and turning tracks. The original wooden sleds[1] were replaced by streamlined fiberglass and metal ones.
The Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT) was founded in 1923. Men's four man bobsleigh appeared in the first ever Winter Olympic Games in 1924, and men's two man bobsleigh event was added in 1932. Bobsleigh was not included in the 1960 Winter Olympics, but has been in every Winter Olympics since. Women's bobsleigh competition began in the US in 1983 with two demonstration races in Lake Placid, New York, one held in February and the 2nd held during the World Cup races in March 1983. Women's two woman bobsleigh made its Olympic debut at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. Bobsleigh is also contested at American, European, and World Cup championships.
Switzerland and Germany have been the most successful bobsleighing nations measured by overall success in European, World, World Cup, and Olympic championships. The Swiss have won more medals than any other nation, and since the 1990s Germans have been dominant in international competition. Italy, Austria, USA and Canada also have strong bobsleigh traditions.
Bobsleighs can attain speeds of 150 km/h (93 mph). The record however is 201 km/h (125 mph). A record the United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation repeatedly rejected as valid due to lack of documentation that still need to be presented.
Modern tracks are made of concrete, coated with ice. They are required to have at least one straight section and one labyrinth (three turns in quick succession without a straight section). Ideally, a modern track should be 1200 to 1300 meters long and have at least fifteen curves. Speeds may exceed 120 km/h, and some curves can subject the crews to as much as 5 g.
Some bobsleigh tracks are also used for luge and skeleton competition.
Some tracks offer tourists rides in bobsleighs, including those at Sigulda, Latvia; Innsbruck-Igls, Austria; Calgary, Canada; Lillehammer, Norway; Cesana Pariol, Italy; Lake Placid, USA; Salt Lake City, USA and La Plagne, France.
The most famous of all the turns is the 'Petersen'. The Petersen is renowned for its trademark 180 degree turn and 270 degree bank angle, which is a compulsory feature on all Winter Olympic runs. The Petersen is named after the pioneer track designer Heidi Petersen.
Modern day sleighs combine light metals, steel runners, and an aerodynamic composite body. Competition sleighs must be a maximum of 3.80 m (12.5 ft) long (4-crew) or 2.70 m (8.9 ft) long (2-crew). The runners on both are set at 0.67 m (2.2 ft) gauge. Until the weight-limit rule was added in 1952, bobsleigh crews tended to be very heavy. Now, the maximum weight, including crew, is 630 kg (1,388.9 lbs) (4-man), 390 kg (859.8 lbs) (2-man), or 340 kg (749.6 lbs) (2-woman). Metal weights may be added to reach these limits, as greater weight makes for a faster run.
Bobsleigh crews once consisted of five or six people, but were reduced to two- and four-person sleighs in the 1930s. A crew is made up of a pilot, a brakeman, and, in 4 man only, two pushers. Athletes are selected based on speed and strength, necessary to push the sleigh to a competitive initial speed at the start of the race. Pilots must have the skill, timing, and finesse to drive the sleigh along the best possible line to achieve the greatest possible speed.
Modern bobsleighs are steered by the pilot, using two metal steering rings. The rings are connected to cables which in turn are attached to the front runners via a pulley system. This is all housed within the forward cowling. To steer the sled left, the left ring is pulled toward the pilot; for turning right, the right ring is pulled toward the pilot. Only subtle steering adjustments are necessary to guide the sled; a slight bit too much either way can result in a crash when traveling at speeds of 80 mph or more. The crew also leans into curves as necessary to aid in steering the sled. The brakeman's job is to stop the sled after crossing the finish line by pulling on a lever that activates the brake.
Women compete in Women's Bobsleigh (which is always two-woman), and men in both two- and four-man competitions.[2]
Runs begin from a standing start, with the crew pushing the sled for up to 50 meters before boarding. The runners of the sled follow grooves in the ice for this distance, so steering is unnecessary until after the sleigh exits the starting area. Races can be lost in the initial push but are rarely won there. Over the rest of the course, the sleigh's speed depends on its weight, aerodynamics, runners, the condition of the ice, and the skill of the driver.
Race times are recorded in hundredths of seconds, so even seemingly minor errors can have a measurable impact on the final race standings. Because any decrease in speed affects the sleigh for the remainder of the course, errors made high on the track will have a greater effect than those made closer to the finish.
Each run down the course in competition is referred to as a heat. The men's and women's standings for normal races are calculated over the aggregate of two runs or heats. At the Olympic Winter Games and World Championships, all competitions (for both men and women) consist of four heats.
Current Olympic champion: United States (USA) Germany (GER) Canada (CAN)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 8 | 4 | 6 | 18 |
| 2 | Switzerland | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 |
| 3 | United States | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| 4 | Italy | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | Austria | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 | Canada | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | Great Britain | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 8 | Belgium | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 8 | Russia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 | France | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 20 | 20 | 21 | 61 | |
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Current Olympic champion: Germany (GER) Germany (GER) Russia (RUS)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 7 | 8 | 4 | 19 |
| 2 | Switzerland | 4 | 5 | 6 | 15 |
| 3 | Italy | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| 4 | United States | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| 5 | Canada | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Russia | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 7 | Great Britain | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Romania | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 19 | 17 | 18 | 54 | |
Current Olympic champion: Canada (CAN) Canada (CAN) United States (USA)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 16 | 13 | 11 | 40 |
| 2 | Switzerland | 9 | 10 | 11 | 30 |
| 3 | United States | 7 | 6 | 7 | 20 |
| 4 | Italy | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 |
| 5 | Canada | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| 6 | Austria | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 7 | Russia | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 8 | Great Britain | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 9 | Belgium | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 | France | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | Romania | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 42 | 40 | 41 | 123 | |
| No | Competitor | Year | Track | Section | Race | Event | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oberüberl | 1911 | Practice run | 5-man sled | ||||
| Karl Gerloff | 1933 | Oberhof | Practice run | 4-man sled | |||
| Rudolf Gerloff | 1933 | Oberhof | Practice run | 4-man sled | |||
| Reto Capadrutt | 1939 | Cortina d'Ampezzo | Practice run | World Championships 1939 | 4-man sled | ||
| Max Houben | 1949 | Lake Placid | Shady corner | Practice run | World Championships 1949 | 2-man sled | |
| Felix Endrich | 1953 | Garmisch-Partenkirchen | Bayernkurve | Practice run | World Championships 1953 | 4-man sled | |
| Sergio Zardini | 1966 | Lake Placid | Zig-Zag Curves | Practice run | 4-man sled | ||
| Toni Pensperger | 1966 | Cortina d'Ampezzo | Practice run | World Championships 1966 | 4-man sled | ||
| Josef Schnellneger | 1970 | Königssee | Practice run | Austria-Cup | 2-man sled | ||
| Luis Lopez | 1971 | Cervinia | Practice run | World Championships 1971 | 2-man sled | ||
| Giuseppe Soravia[3] | 1980 | Igls | Finish | Practice run | 4-man sled | ||
| James Morgan[3] | 1981 | Cortina d'Ampezzo | Finish | Practice run | World Championships 1981 | 4-man sled | |
| Paolo Rigon[3] | 1981 | Cortina d'Ampezzo | Production | For Your Eyes Only (film) | |||
| Imants Karlsons[3] | 1982 | Igls | Training session | Training | 2-man sled | ||
| Daniel Oaida[3] | 1989 | Altenberg | Curve 4 | Training session | Training | 4-man sled | |
| 41 | Peter Förster | 1990 | Altenberg | Finish | Training session | Training | 2-man sled |
| 42 | Yvonne Cernota[4][5] | 2004 | Königssee | Echowand | Training session | Training | 2-man sled |
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