SPORTS PROFILE: Men's Bobsleigh

Both men and women compete in the sport of bobsleigh, a sport that combines speed, power and agility. There are two person races for men and women. Men also have a four-man event. Bobsleigh is one of the original sports in the Olympic Winter Games.

Bobsleigh teams include a brakeman and a pilot in the two-man event, while two crewmen/pushers are added for the four-man race. From a standing start, the crew pushes the sled in unison for up to 50 meters. This distance is typically covered in less than six seconds and speeds of over 40 km/h are reached before the crew loads into the sled.

Although the difference in start times among the top crews is measured in tenths or even hundredths of a second, a fast start is critical. As a rule of thumb, a 1/10th of a second lead at the start translates into a 3/10ths of a second advantage by the bottom of the course. During a typical 60-second run, speeds of more than 135 km/h are reached and crews are subjected to over four times the force of gravity.


World Cup Circuit

World Cup competitions are awarded by the FIBT to member countries through a bidding process. Competitions may be awarded either to a country or to a
specific track within a country. Each country is allowed to race one sled per event. Additional sleds must qualify.

In World Cup competition, two heats are held over one day in each event. At the Olympics and World Championships, four heats are held over two days in both the two-man and four-man events. The crew with the lowest combined time is the winner.

Starting Order

The FIBT World Ranking, initiated in 2007, is used to determine start positions for all major events, including the Olympic Winter Games, FIBT World Championships and FIBTWorld Cup events. Since the ice becomes rougher as the competition progresses, it is an advantage to be among the first on the track. The World Ranking system rewards the top crews (based on previous results) with the best start positions. At the first World Cup competition of each season, the World Ranking from the previous season is applied. A draw is conducted for the top-10 ranked athletes. The rest of the field starts based on the World Ranking order. The rankings also determine nation quotas, and the starting order for the Olympic Winter Games and the World Championships.


Ranking

In World Cup competition, medals are awarded to the top three rankings, and
recognition awards for placing fourth through sixth. In addition, points are awarded to the top-30 finishers in each World Cup race, which leads to the awarding of World Cup Titles in each of the disciplines, won by those accumulating the most points over the full season.

The sled is an aerodynamic machine made of fiberglass and steel, mounted on four highly polished steel runners. The two front runners have approximately three inches of lateral movement and are attached to ropes held by the driver, who steers the sled. The brake handles are located on either side of the brakeman in the four-man sled and in front of the brakeman in the two-man sled. The temperature of the steel runners is taken electronically immediately prior to each race. Heating the runners is illegal. At the finish line, the sled and crew are weighed to ensure they are below the maximum weight. All sleds are standardized according to specifications set by the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT).

Although a few natural ice tracks are still in use today, most competitions take
place on concrete-based tracks with artificial ice surfaces. Although the standard
length is 1,500 meters, every course has unique characteristics and varying
degrees of difficulty. All courses drop a minimum specified vertical distance and feature numerous banked curves from top to bottom.

Bobsledders wear helmets and skintight racing uniforms made from a stretchy material. Racing shoes have small spikes on the soles for traction on the ice. Drivers must wear goggles. Most drivers wear gloves, although some prefer bare hands to feel the steering ropes better. Some riders wear elbow and shoulder pads over their racing suits.