When most people think of sledding down an icy hill, they picture children at play in the snow. But athletes who participate in luge or skeleton see things a little differently. Both of these Olympic events involve sledding down an icy hill at high speed. What started as a quick way to travel from one place to another in winter has evolved into exciting competitions.
Position
In the luge, the slider lies on his back and goes down the course feet-first. Lugers try to lie as flat as possible, without raising their heads to look down the track. They steer by shifting their shoulders, flexing their feet or making other small movements to adjust their position on the track. In skeleton, the slider lies on her belly and hurtles down the icy track face first. While skeleton racers can see the track, it's coming at them very quickly and they too, have to lie very still and steer by making minute adjustments with the body.
History
Skeleton began in the 1880s in St. Moritz, Switzerland, where it was known as toboganing. Skeleton made its Olympic debut in 1928 and returned briefly in 1948. Both times the Olympics were held at St. Mortiz, which had a skeleton track and long tradition in the sport. Skeleton was reinstated as an Olympic event at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The name skeleton comes from the bare-bones lightweight sled on which racers compete. Davos, Switzerland, hosted the first international luge race in 1883. Early races were held on natural tracks carved out of the mountains. The first artificial track was built in 1957 in Imst, Austria. Luge joined the Olympics in 1964.
Athleticism
According to luge racer Becky Wilczak-Brand, core strength is vital to the sport of luge. The luge sled extends from shoulders to upper thighs. Athletes rely on strong abdominal muscles to help them maintain form, with their head and legs in a line held above the track. Simon Timson, director of the 2006 British skeleton team, told the "Wall Street Journal" the skeleton is a simple sport to learn. As long as the athlete can sprint to a fast running start, learn how to steer, and have the nerve to compete, he can compete in skeleton.
Speed
Skeleton and luge achieve high speeds on the tracks. Skeleton racers can exceed 80 mph on the track, while lugers can exceed 90 mph. Skeleton racers and lugers can pull the equivalent of 5 Gs while racing. Losing control of a sled at these speeds can result in broken bones, concussion, and even death. At the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, Georgian athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili died during a training run on the Olympic luge track.
References
- Edmonds School District: Doin' the Luge
- International Luge Federation: Natural and Artificial Track Luge
- CNN: Olympic Opening Ceremonies Clouded by Luger's Death
- Northwestern University: Olympic Luging --- More Than Lying Down on the Job
- The Wall Street Journal: The Fast Track to Gold at Turin; Russell Adams; 2005
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