Bobsleigh

Bobsleigh, also called bobsled, is a winter sport where athletes race down icy, twisting tracks in a special sled. Teams of two to four people work together to go as fast as possible, using only gravity to power their run. The sport is managed worldwide by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation.

The first bobsleds were made in the late 1800s in St. Moritz, Switzerland, by rich visitors from Victorian Britain staying at the Palace Hotel. They built their own sleds based on designs used by children and raced them down the town’s narrow streets. As more people joined in, the town asked them to stop using the public roads. The Cresta Run is still the oldest track in the world and has hosted Olympic Winter Games.

Today, bobsleigh teams race to finish their runs in the shortest time, and the total of several runs decides the winners. The four-person race has been part of almost every Winter Olympics since 1924 in Chamonix, France. The two-person race started in 1932, women’s racing began in 2002, and a new one-person race for women was added in 2022. The only time the four-person race was not held was in 1960, when the organizers in California chose not to build a track to save money.

Etymology

The word "bobsleigh" comes from how some of the first people who raced on these sleds would move back and forth in their sleds. They did this to help them go faster down the icy track.

History

Origins

Sledding on snow or ice has been a fun activity for many years in cold places. The modern sport of bobsleigh started not too long ago. It began when a hotel owner named Caspar Badrutt in St. Moritz, Switzerland, wanted his guests to stay longer during the winter. He kept them busy with fun activities. Soon, some guests began using small sleds for fun, but they started bumping into people. To fix this, they added a way to steer the sleds. Later, Badrutt built a special track outside the town so people could race without causing trouble.

Competitive discipline

Formal races began in 1884 on a track called the Cresta Run. This track is still used today and has hosted Olympic events. The first club for bobsleigh was formed in 1897, and the first track made just for bobsleigh opened in 1902. Over time, the tracks became twistier, and the sleds changed from wood to stronger materials.

The group that oversees bobsleigh, called the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, was started in 1923. Bobsleigh became an Olympic sport in 1924. Women started competing in bobsleigh in the US in 1983, and two-woman bobsleigh joined the Olympics in 2002. Germany and Switzerland have been the best at bobsleigh, but many other countries also do well.

Main article: Skeleton at the 1928 Winter Olympics

Main article: Skeleton at the 1948 Winter Olympics

Main article: 2002 Winter Olympics

Modern era

Modern bobsleigh tracks are made of concrete and covered in ice. They need at least one straight part and a section with three quick turns. The best tracks are between 1,200 and 1,300 meters long with at least fifteen turns. Some tracks are also used for luge and skeleton competitions.

Bobsleighs today are made with light metals, steel runners, and a special shape to go fast. Crews can have two or four people. The pilot steers the sled, while others help push it at the start and stop it at the finish line. Women race in two-person teams, and men can race in both two- and four-person teams. Single-person bobsleighs, called monobobs, were added for youth and adaptive sports and later included in the Winter Olympics for women.

Olympic medal table

Further information: List of Olympic medalists in bobsleigh

Safety

Bobsledding can be very dangerous for the athletes. When they race, they feel strong forces and their heads bump into their helmets as they turn quickly. If the sled crashes, there are no seatbelts to keep them safe. This can hurt their heads.

Athletes who train a lot have talked about having bad headaches and feeling sensitive to bright lights and loud noises. There are worries that doing this sport often could cause problems for their brains.