Skeleton is a wintertime sliding sport. Participants ride a small sled down a frozen track, while lying with their face down with their head first. The term skeleton comes from the bony appearance of the sled that was first used. Men's and women's skeleton races have been part of the Winter Olympics since 2002, though skeleton also appeared at the Olympics in 1928 and 1948.
The sled dimensions are regulated by the Federation Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing or FIBT. For men, the maximum combined weight should be 115 kg, and the maximum sled weight should be 43 kg. For women, the maximum combined weight should be 92 kg, and the maximum sled weight should be 35 kg.
Other equipment used in this sport are alpine racing helmet, skin tight racing speedsuit, spiked shoes, goggles, elbow, and shoulder pads. Other non-Olympic competitions include the World Championships and the World Cup which are held every year. The FIBT will determine the Olympic participants based on the overall performances of the countries in these other events.
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.
- Bobsleigh — winter sport on a sled making timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, ice tracks.