Yesterday we started putting on USA-oriented Factsheets, giving the factsheets for the “Big Medal” sports of speedskating, figure skating, and Alpine skiing. Today we give you 3 more Factsheets – in this case it is for the “Sliding Sports” – bobsledding, luge, and skeleton. More to come in the next few days.
Category Archives: Bobsleigh
Bobsledding Factsheets
Olympic History: Bobsledding as a sport originated in Switzerland in 1886 when an Englishman, Wilson Smith, connected two sleighs with a board to travel from St. Moritz to Celerina. Bobsledding was first practiced on the Cresta Run at St. Moritz but the run was not suitable for the faster bobsleds, so a separate bob run was constructed there in 1904, the world’s first. Prior to that time, local roads around St. Moritz were used for bobsled races. The first bobsled club was formed in 1896 by Lord Francis Helmsley of Britain at St. Moritz.
Bobsledding was on the program of the first Olympic Winter Games in 1924 with a single four-man event. In 1928, the event was one for sleds with either four- or five-men. In 1932, the current men’s program of two events, one for two-man sleds, and one for four-man sleds, began. Bobsledding has been contested at all Olympic Winter Games except for 1960 at Squaw Valley. Because of the distance to travel to California, only nine countries indicated that they would enter bobsled teams. The Squaw Valley organizers thus decided not to build a bob run and the sport was not held that year.
Bobsledding at the Olympics was contested for men only through 1998. In October 1999, the IOC approved the addition of women’s bobsled to the Olympic Winter program and women competed for the first time at Salt Lake City in 2002 in the two-woman bobsled event.
Bobsledding is governed world-wide by Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT). As of November 2013, the FIBT has 64 affiliated member nations, all of which are recognized by the IOC. This makes it the third smallest International Federation, after curling and luge, in terms of affiliated national federations.
The following nations are current members of the FIBT: American Samoa, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bermuda, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, India, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, US Virgin Islands, and Venezuela.
Olympic Sliding Tracks
Unfortunately, all Olympic fans sadly remember the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, on the morning of the 2010 Vancouver opening ceremony. There were concerns about the track in Vancouver and its speed and difficulty. What is the sliding track like in Sochi, at the Sanki Sliding Centre? And how does it compare to Vancouver and other Olympics sliding tracks?
Below are the specifications for the Olympic sliding tracks at all the Olympics, although in some of the early years, some data is lacking. The three key factors are the length of the track, the gradient, or steepness of the hill, and especially the vertical drop.
Olympic Bobsledding Track Specifications
Two-Man
Year Curves Length Start Altitude Vertical Drop Gradient
1932 26 2,366 m 850 m 228 m 9.6%
1936 17 1,525 m 919 m 129 m 8.5%
1948 17 1,722 m — 130 m 7.5%
1952 13 1,508 m 429 m 124 m 8.2%
1956 16 1,700 m — 153 m 9.0%
1964 13 1,506 m 1,133 m 138 m 9.2%
1968 13 1,500 m 2,030 m 140 m 9.3%
1972 14 1,563 m 495 m 70 m 4.5%
1976 14 1,220 m 1,133 m 97 m 8.0%
1980 16 1,557 m 771 m 148 m 9.5%
1984 13 1,300 m 1,109 m 126 m 9.7%
1988 14 1,475 m 1,250 m 120 m 8.1%
1992 19 1,508 m 1,685 m 125 m 8.3%
1994 16 1,365 m 347 m 107 m 7.8%
1998 15 1,360 m 1,028 m 113 m 8.3%
2002 15 1,340 m 2,233 m 104 m 7.8%
2006 19 1,435 m 1,683 m 114 m 7.9%
2010 16 1,450 m 928 m 148 m 10.2%
2014 18 1,475 m 844 m 132 m 9.3%
Four-Man
Year Curves Length Start Altitude Vertical Drop Gradient
1924 19 1,370 m — 156 m 11.4%
1928 17 1,722 m — 130 m 7.5%
1932 26 2,366 m 850 m 228 m 9.6%
1936 17 1,525 m 919 m 129 m 8.5%
1948 17 1,722 m — 130 m 7.5%
1952 13 1,508 m 429 m 124 m 8.2%
1956 16 1,700 m — 153 m 9.0%
1964 13 1,506 m 1,133 m 138 m 9.2%
1968 13 1,500 m 2,030 m 140 m 9.3%
1972 14 1,563 m 495 m 70 m 4.5%
1976 14 1,220 m 1,133 m 97 m 8.0%
1980 16 1,557 m 771 m 148 m 9.5%
1984 13 1,300 m 1,109 m 126 m 9.7%
1988 14 1,475 m 1,250 m 120 m 8.1%
1992 19 1,508 m 1,685 m 125 m 8.3%
1994 16 1,365 m 347 m 107 m 7.8%
1998 15 1,360 m 1,028 m 113 m 8.3%
2002 15 1,340 m 2,233 m 104 m 7.8%
2006 19 1,435 m 1,683 m 114 m 7.9%
2010 16 1,450 m 928 m 148 m 10.2%
2014 18 1,475 m 844 m 132 m 9.3%
Two-Women
Year Curves Length Start Altitude Vertical Drop Gradient
2002 15 1,340 m 2,233 m 104 m 7.8%
2006 19 1,435 m 1,683 m 114 m 7.9%
2010 16 1,450 m 928 m 148 m 10.2%
2014 18 1,475 m 844 m 132 m 9.3%
Olympic Luge Track Specifications
Men’s Singles
Year Curves Length Start Altitude Vertical Drop Gradient
1964 18 1,058 m 1,133 m 113 m 10.7%
1968 14 1,000 m 1,110 m 110 m 11.0%
1972 14 1,023 m 443 m 101 m 9.9%
1976 14 1,220 m — 103 m 8.4%
1980 14 1,014 m 731 m 96 m 9.5%
1984 13 1,210 m 1,112 m 129 m 10.7%
1988 13 1,251 m 1,309 m 109 m 8.7%
1992 15 1,250 m 1,671 m 111 m 8.9%
1994 16 1,365 m 350 m 110 m 8.1%
1998 14 1,326 m 1,029 m 114 m 8.6%
2002 17 1,317 m — 106 m 8.0%
2006 19 1,435 m — 114 m 7.9%
2010 15 1,198 m 909 m 132 m 11.0%
2014 17 1,475 m 844 m 132 m 9.3%
Doubles
Year Curves Length Start Altitude Vertical Drop Gradient
1964 18 910 m 1,110 m 89 m 9.8%
1968 — — — — —
1972 11 763 m 420 m 78 m 10.2%
1976 10 870 m — 72 m 8.3%
1980 11 749 m 695 m 59 m 7.9%
1984 11 993 m 1,082 m 100 m 10.1%
1988 10 1,080 m 1,281 m 81 m 7.5%
1992 14 1,143 m 1,652 m 92 m 8.0%
1994 13 1,185 m 325 m 85 m 7.2%
1998 13 1,194 m 1,011 m 96 m 8.0%
2002 12 1,140 m — 77 m 6.8%
2006 17 1,233 m — 98 m 7.9%
2010 14 953 m 883 m 96 m 10.1%
2014 16 1,384 m 836 m 125 m 9.3%
Women’s Singles
Year Curves Length Start Altitude Vertical Drop Gradient
1964 18 910 m 1,110 m 89 m 9.8%
1968 — — — — —
1972 11 763 m 420 m 78 m 10.2%
1976 10 870 m — 72 m 8.3%
1980 11 749 m 695 m 59 m 7.9%
1984 11 993 m 1,082 m 100 m 10.1%
1988 10 1,080 m 1,281 m 81 m 7.5%
1992 14 1,143 m 1,652 m 92 m 8.0%
1994 13 1,185 m 325 m 85 m 7.2%
1998 13 1,194 m 1,011 m 96 m 8.0%
2002 12 1,140 m — 77 m 6.8%
2006 17 1,233 m — 98 m 7.9%
2010 14 953 m 883 m 96 m 10.1%
2014 16 1,384 m 836 m 125 m 9.3%
Olympic Skeleton Track Specifications
Men
Year Curves Length Start Altitude Vertical Drop Gradient
1928 15 1,231 m — 157 m 12.8%
1948 15 1,231 m — 157 m 12.8%
2002 15 1,335 m 2,233 m 104 m 7.8%
2006 19 1,435 m 1,683 m 114 m 7.9%
2010 15 1,450 m 928 m 148 m 10.2%
2014 18 1,475 m 844 m 132 m 9.3%
Women
Year Curves Length Start Altitude Vertical Drop Gradient
2002 15 1,335 m 2,233 m 104 m 7.8%
2006 19 1,435 m 1,683 m 114 m 7.9%
2010 15 1,450 m 928 m 148 m 10.2%
2014 18 1,475 m 844 m 132 m 9.3%
If everything else is equal, the vertical drop is what determines the speed. On a frictionless track, with no curves, the velocity one obtains would be as follows, if you remember your elementary physics:
V = √2gh
In the above, V = velocity, h = vertical drop (or height), and g = gravitational acceleration (=9.8 m/s). With no other forces, such as friction, the speed at the bottom can be determined by the equation relating potential and kinetic energy:
mgh = ½mV2
Which yields the above formula for the final velocity.
Now obviously there is friction, and there are curves. Modern sliding tracks really began in the 1960s with refrigerated tracks which are basically sheets of ice. Friction is pretty minimal now, but its still there. And some of the curves will slow down the sleds, although the highly banked tracks minimize that.
So looking at the above, we note that the Sanki track is a long one, at a maximum length of 1,475 metres. It is the longest ever luge or skeleton Olympic track, although several bob tracks have been longer.
The Vancouver track had a greater vertical drop and gradient than Sochi, however. In fact Vancouver had the steepest gradient and biggest vertical drop of any of the modern, iced Olympic tracks, although equalled by Lake Placid in 1980, which had the same vertical drop but less of a gradient. For bobsled and skeleton, the track in Vancouver dropped 148 metres at a gradient of about 10.2%, while Sochi drops 132 metres at a gradient of about 9.3%. The luge drop in Vancouver was less, but remember that that track was shortened, and started from lower down, after the fatal accident.
So if you are looking at the differences in the two tracks maximal potential speeds, they are as follows (using bobsled and skeleton drops):
Year Vertical Drop Max Speed
2010 148 m drop 194 km/hr (121 mph)
2014 132 m drop 183 km/hr (114 mph)
Now obviously the sleds never get that fast, as this assumes a frictionless surface and no curves. Maximum speeds hover about 90 mph, or 145 km/hr in skeleton and luge, and can get to 95 mph, or 150 km/hr in bobsled. But what this does show is that the Sanki Sliding Centre track is not as fast as Vancouver’s was, by a factor of about 6% potential maximum speed.