If you watch the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver this February you are likely to see an event called skeleton. It is a sliding sport like bobsleigh and luge. And it gets its name from the type of sled used. It was originally a metal sled, but now it is usually a combination of fiberglass and metal. It resembles a human skeleton - thus the name.
Skeleton first made its appearance at the Olympic Winter Games in 1928 and 1948. At that time only men competed in the event. When skeleton reappeared as a permanent sport at the Olympic games in 2002 in Salt Lake City, both men and women competed in it and have ever since.
In skeleton, the athlete grasps the handles on either side of the sled and then runs as fast as possible for about 50 meters and dives onto the sled. As opposed to bobsleigh and luge where the athletes are either in a sitting position or lying on their back, in skeleton the athlete is flying headfirst on his or her stomach down the track. Also, unlike bobsleigh and luge, there are no brakes or steering mechanisms on the skeleton. The athletes steer the sled by shifting their bodies very slightly. Skeleton is not for the faint of heart as speeds can exceed 80 mph.
Winners are determined by the fastest time down the course. And the difference between first and second place can be less than 0.01 second. The elite athletes in this sport combine a sprinter’s explosive start with experience and finesse at finding the best line down the course. Steering smoothly through each turn is the only way to keep sled speed up. One small bump in a turn can turn a winning run into a losing one. At the 2010 Olympic Games, athletes will have to negotiate a 1,458 meter long icy track with 16 corners.
Although the U.S. has won more skeleton Olympic medals than any other nation with six, the Canadians and Germans are expected to be favorites in Vancouver. Both nations have made excellent showings in all the run-up events to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
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