Bobsleigh, which is also called bobsled, is a wintertime sport. It involves teams making timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, ice tracks in a gravity-power sled.
The tracks used are made of concrete and coated ice. The tracks should have at least one straight section and one labyrinth. A labyrinth is three turns with quick succession without a straight section. The most famous turn in bobsleigh is the Petersen turn, it has a 180 degree turn and 270 degree bank angle. It is a required feature in the Winter Olympics.
The sleighs used in competition must be around 12.5 feet long. The maximum weight (depending on the event) should be 630 kg, 290 kg, or 340 kg, which includes the crew.
A bobsleigh crew can have two or four people. Teams include a pilot and a brakeman, for a 4-person crew it can have two pushers. The participants are selected based on strength and speed. The participants are required to push the sleigh at the start of the race.
Similar Sports
- Luge — a Winter Olympic sport in which competitors race down an ice track in a small one- or two-person sled lying supine (face up) and feet-first.
- Skeleton — participants ride a small sled down a frozen track facing forward with the face down.
Related Pages
- Bobsleigh at the Winter Olympics
- Bobsleigh at the Paralympics
- Complete list of sports
- The Encyclopedia of Sports