Bobsleigh - wikipedia Bobsleigh Bobsleigh A modern bobsleigh team, the 2010 United States top two - man team Highest governing body International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation ( French : Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing ) Nicknames Bobsled, Bob, King 's Class First played 1870s Characteristics Contact None Team members Teams of 2 or 4 Mixed gender Yes, but usually in separate competitions Type Winter sport, time trial Equipment High - tech sleigh, helmet Venue Bobsleigh tracks Presence Olympic since 1924 Listen to this article ( info / dl ) This audio file was created from a revision of the article `` Bobsleigh '' dated 2006 - 02 - 04, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ( Audio help ) More spoken articles Bobsleigh or bobsled is a winter sport in which teams of two or four teammates make timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity - powered sleigh. The timed runs are combined to calculate the final score. The various types of sleds came several years before the first tracks were built in St. Moritz, Switzerland, where the original bobsleds were adapted upsized luge / skeleton sleds designed by the adventurously wealthy to carry passengers. All three types were adapted from boys ' delivery sleds and toboggans. Competition naturally followed, and to protect the working class and rich visitors in the streets and byways of St Moritz, bobsledding was eventually banned from the public highway. In the winter of 1903 / 1904 the Badrutt family, owners of the historic Kulm Hotel and the Palace Hotel, allowed Emil Thoma to organise the construction of the first familiarly configured ' half - pipe ' track in the Kulm Hotel Park, ending in the village of Cresta. It has hosted the sport during two Olympics and is still in use today. International bobsleigh competitions are governed by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, also known as FIBT from the French Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing. National competitions are often governed by bodies such as the United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation and Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton. Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Tracks 4 Sleighs and crews 5 Races 6 Olympic medal table 6.1 Four - man 6.2 Two - man 6.3 Two - woman 6.4 Total Olympic ranking ( 2010 ) 7 Fatal incidents 8 See also 9 References 10 External links Etymology The name is derived from the action some early competitors adopted of bobbing back and forth inside their sleds to increase speed. History The Swiss bobsleigh team from Davos, c. 1910 An East German bobsleigh in 1951, Oberhof track, East Germany Although sledding on snow or ice had been popular in many northern countries, the origins of bobsleighing as a modern sport are relatively recent. Its foundation began when hotelier Caspar Badrutt ( 1848 -- 1904 ) managed to convince some English tourists to stay at his hotel in the mineral spa town of St. Moritz, Switzerland through the entire winter. He successfully sold the idea of `` winter resorting '' to his English regulars with food, alcohol and activities. Badrutt took this action because he had been annoyed by his regular guests were only staying at his hotel during the summer months. Within a couple of years, wintering in St Moritz at Badrutt 's hotel became very fashionable. But increased numbers led those who were staying to search for new diversions. In the early 1870s some adventurous English guests began adapting boys ' delivery sleds for recreational purposes and began colliding with pedestrians while speeding down the lanes, alleys and roads in St Moritz. Guests soon began to invent `` steering means '' for the sleds. This led to the development of the bobsleigh ( bobsled ) : two cresta 's ( skeleton sleds ) attached together with a board that had a steering mechanism at the front. However, the impetus to steer the sleds permitted longer runs through the town. Longer runs also meant higher speeds on curves. Local sentiments varied about these informal competitions but eventually complaints grew so vociferous that Badrutt was forced to take action. He built the first natural ice run for his guests because he had worked hard to popularize wintering in the mountain resort and was worried customers would stop coming due to boredom. He also did not want to make enemies in the town from locals injured by bobsled accidents. He opened the world 's first natural ice half - pipe track in the late 1870s. Formal competitions started down the natural ice Cresta Run in 1884, which was built in partnership between guests and local people. The run, which is still in operation as of 2014, has served as a host track for skeleton at two Winter Olympics ( 1928 and 1948 ). As one of the few natural weather tracks in the world, it does not use artificial refrigeration. It is not known how much the original track evolved in the early years as the three sports matured and stabilized. The first club formed in 1897, and the first purpose - built track solely for bobsleds opened in 1902 outside St Moritz. Over the years, bobsleigh tracks evolved from straight runs to twisting and turning tracks. The original wooden sleds gave way to streamlined fiberglass and metal ones. The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation ( FIBT ) was founded in 1923. Men 's four - man bobsleigh appeared in the first ever Winter Olympic Games in 1924, and the men 's two - man bobsleigh event was added in 1932. Though not included in the 1960 Winter Olympics, bobsleigh has featured in every Winter Olympics since. Women 's bobsleigh competition began in the US in 1983 with two demonstration races in Lake Placid, New York, one held in February and the second held during the World Cup races in March 1983. Women 's two - woman bobsleigh made its Olympic debut at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. Bobsleigh is also contested at American, European, and World Cup championships. Germany and Switzerland have proven the most successful bobsleighing nations measured by overall success in European, World, World Cup, and Olympic championships. Since the 1990s Germans have dominated in international competition, having won more medals than any other nation. Italy, Austria, United States and Canada also have strong bobsleigh traditions. Bobsleighs can attain speeds of 150 km / h ( 93 mph ), with the reported world record being 201 km / h ( 125 mph ). Tracks Altenberg track, Germany. Further information : List of bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton tracks Modern tracks are made of concrete, coated with ice. They are required to have at least one straight section and one labyrinth ( three turns in quick succession without a straight section ). Ideally, a modern track should be 1,200 to 1,300 metres ( 3,900 -- 4,300 ft ) long and have at least fifteen curves. Speeds may exceed 120 kilometres per hour ( 75 mph ), and some curves can subject the crews to as much as 5 g. Some bobsleigh tracks are also used for luge and skeleton competition. Some tracks offer tourists rides in bobsleighs, including those at Sigulda, Latvia ; Innsbruck - Igls, Austria ; Calgary, Alberta, Canada ; Whistler, British Columbia, Canada ; Lillehammer, Norway ; Cesana Pariol, Italy ; Lake Placid, US ; Salt Lake City, Utah, US and La Plagne, France. Sleighs and crews Team USA on a wall, Shauna Rohbock ( pilot ) and Valerie Fleming ( brakes ) during their 2006 silver run on Cesana Pariol, Italy. Modern day sleighs combine light metals, steel runners, and an aerodynamic composite body. Competition sleighs must be a maximum of 3.80 metres ( 12.5 ft ) long ( 4 - crew ) or 2.70 metres ( 8.9 ft ) long ( 2 - crew ). The runners on both are set at 0.67 metres ( 2.2 ft ) gauge. Until the weight - limit rule was added in 1952, bobsleigh crews tended to be very heavy to ensure the greatest possible speed. Nowadays, the maximum weight, including crew, is 630 kilograms ( 1,390 lb ) ( 4 - man ), 390 kilograms ( 860 lb ) ( 2 - man ), or 340 kilograms ( 750 lb ) ( 2 - woman ), which can be reached via the addition of metal weights. The bobsleighs themselves are designed to be as light as possible to allow dynamic positioning of mass through the turns of the bobsleigh course. Bobsleigh crews once consisted of five or six people, but were reduced to two - and four - person sleighs in the 1930s. A crew is made up of a pilot, a brakeman, and, only in 4 - man heats, two pushers. Athletes are selected based on their speed and strength, which are necessary to push the sleigh to a competitive speed at the start of the race. Pilots must have the skill, timing, and finesse to steer the sleigh along the path, or, ' line ', that will produce the greatest speed. In modern bobsleighs, the steering system consists of two metal rings that actuate a pulley system located in the forward cowling that turns the front runners. For example, to turn left, the pilot would pull the left ring. Only subtle steering adjustments are necessary to guide the sled ; at speeds up to 80 miles per hour ( 130 km / h ), anything larger would result in a crash. The pilot does most of the steering, and the brakeman stops the sled after crossing the finish line by pulling the sled 's brake lever. Women compete in Women 's Bobsleigh ( which is always two - woman ), and men in both two and four - man competitions. Women were confirmed as being able to compete in any four - ' man ' bobsleigh event, as from 25 September 2014, either as part of a mixed - sex team or an all - female team. Races USA - 1 in heat 3 of 4 man bobsleigh at 2010 Winter Olympics 2010 - 02 - 27 Vonetta Flowers ( left ) and Jill Bakken power up in the push zone for their 80 - mile - per - hour ( 130 km / h ) ride down the Winter Olympic bobsledding track. Bakken, the driver, and Flowers, the brakeman, won the first gold medal presented in Olympic women 's bobsledding. ( 2002 ) Individual runs down the course, or `` heats '', begin from a standing start, with the crew pushing the sled for up to 50 metres ( 160 ft ) before boarding ; though the pilot does not steer, grooves in the ice make steering unnecessary until the sled leaves the starting area. While poor form during the initial push can lose a team the heat, it is otherwise rarely, if ever, decisive. Over the rest of the course, a sleigh 's speed depends on its weight, aerodynamics, runners, the condition of the ice, and the skill of the pilot. Race times are recorded in hundredths of seconds, so even seemingly minor errors -- especially those at the beginning, which affect the remainder of the heat -- can have a measurable impact on the final race standings. The men 's and women 's standings for normal races are calculated over the aggregate of two runs or heats. At the Olympic Winter Games and World Championships, all competitions ( for both men and women ) consist of four heats. Olympic medal table Main article : Bobsleigh at the Winter Olympics Further information : List of Olympic medalists in bobsleigh Four - man Current Olympic champion : 01 ! Russia ( RUS ) 02 ! Latvia ( LAT ) 03 ! United States ( USA ) Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total Germany 8 6 18 Switzerland 5 5 5 15 United States 11 Italy 5 Austria 0 6 Russia 0 7 Canada 0 8 Great Britain 0 9 Belgium 0 10 Latvia 0 0 11 France 0 0 12 Soviet Union 0 0 Total 21 21 21 63 Two - man Current Olympic champion : 01 ! Germany ( GER ) 01 ! Canada ( CAN ) 03 ! Latvia ( LAT ) Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total Germany 8 8 20 Switzerland 6 6 16 Italy 7 United States 6 5 Canada 0 6 Russia 0 6 Soviet Union 0 8 Great Britain 0 0 9 Romania 0 0 Total 19 17 18 54 Two - woman Current Olympic champion : 01 ! Canada ( CAN ) 02 ! United States ( USA ) - 1 03 ! United States ( USA ) - 2 Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total Canada 0 United States 5 Germany Italy 0 0 Total 12 Total Olympic ranking ( 2010 ) Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total Germany 16 13 11 40 Switzerland 9 10 11 30 United States 7 6 7 20 Italy 12 5 Canada 8 6 Austria 0 7 Great Britain 8 Soviet Union 0 9 Belgium 0 9 Russia 0 11 France 0 0 11 Romania 0 0 Total 42 40 41 123 Fatal incidents This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. ( December 2010 ) No Competitor Year Track Section Race Event Vehicle Jules van Bylandt 1907 Cresta Run Practice run skeleton Oberüberl 1911 Practice run 5 - man sled Karl Gerloff 1933 Oberhof Practice run 4 - man sled Rudolf Gerloff 1933 Oberhof Practice run 4 - man sled Reto Capadrutt 1939 Cortina d'Ampezzo Practice run World Championships 1939 4 - man sled Max Houben 1949 Lake Placid Shady corner Practice run World Championships 1949 2 - man sled Felix Endrich 1953 Garmisch - Partenkirchen Bayernkurve Practice run World Championships 1953 4 - man sled Sergio Zardini 1966 Lake Placid Zig - Zag Curves Practice run 4 - man sled Toni Pensperger 1966 Cortina d'Ampezzo Practice run World Championships 1966 4 - man sled Josef Schnellneger 1970 Königssee Practice run Austria - Cup 2 - man sled Luis López 1971 Cervinia Practice run World Championships 1971 2 - man sled Giuseppe Soravia 1980 Igls Finish Practice run 4 - man sled James Morgan 1981 Cortina d'Ampezzo Finish Practice run World Championships 1981 4 - man sled Imants Karlsons 1982 Igls Training session Training 2 - man sled Daniel Oaida Altenberg Curve 4 Training session Training 4 - man sled 41 Peter Förster Altenberg Finish Training session Training 2 - man sled 42 Yvonne Cernota Königssee Echowand Training session Training 2 - man sled See also Sports portal Luge Cool Runnings List of Bobsleigh World Cup champions References Jump up ^ `` bobsledding ( sport ) - Britannica Online Encyclopedia ''. Britannica.com. Retrieved 2014 - 02 - 21. Jump up ^ `` Rounding The Zigzag Turn Of A Bobsleigh Run '', April 1932, Popular Science photo of wooden bobsleigh used in early 1930s Jump up ^ `` Bobsleigh Activity TeamsOnTour.com ''. www.teamsontour.com. Retrieved 2016 - 11 - 24. Jump up ^ Niller, Eric ( 4 February 2014 ). `` U.S. Olympic Team Gets BMW Bobsleds ''. Discovery News. Retrieved 3 February 2014. Jump up ^ `` FIBT the international home of Bobsleigh and Skeleton Sports ''. Retrieved 3 February 2010. ^ Jump up to : Hamburger Abendblatt article, accessed December 2010 Jump up ^ `` Yvonne Cernota crashes during training run ''. Stern.de ( German ) Jump up ^ `` Cernota killed in training accident ''. CBC News. 2004 - 03 - 12. ( German ) External links Media related to Bobsleigh at Wikimedia Commons Winter sliding sports Luge Winter Olympics medalists venues World championships World Cup European championships World natural track championships European natural track championships Asian championships Bobsleigh Winter Olympics medalists venues World championships World Cup European championships Skeleton Winter Olympics medalists venues World championships World Cup European championships International Luge Federation International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation List of bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton tracks List of natural luge tracks Winter Olympic sports Alpine skiing Bandy Biathlon Bobsleigh Cross-country skiing Curling Figure skating Freestyle skiing Ice hockey Luge Nordic combined Short track speed skating Skeleton Ski jumping Snowboarding Speed skating See also : Paralympic sports and Summer Olympic sports Extreme and adventure sports Boardsports Bellyboarding Bodyboarding Dirtsurfing Flowriding Kite landboarding Kiteboarding Longboarding Mountainboarding River surfing Riverboarding Sandboarding Skateboarding Skimboarding Skysurfing Snowboarding Snowskating Street luging Surfing Wakeboarding Windsurfing Motorsports Drifting Motocross Rallying Snocross Supercross Water sports Coasteering Freediving High diving Jet Skiing Scuba diving Cave diving Technical diving Snorkeling Water skiing Whitewater canoeing Whitewater kayaking Whitewater rafting Climbing Bouldering Canyoning Free solo climbing Ice climbing Mountaineering Rock climbing Skyrunning Falling BASE jumping Bungee jumping Cliff - diving Cliff jumping Parachuting ( skydiving ) Flying Air racing Gliding Hang gliding Paragliding Powered paragliding Parasailing Speed flying Wingsuit flying Cycling BMX BMX racing Freestyle BMX Mountain biking Downhill mountain biking Rolling Freestyle scootering Inline skating Aggressive inline skating Vert skating Roller skating Skiing Extreme skiing Freestyle skiing Speed skiing Sliding Bobsleigh Extreme sledding Luge Skeleton Food Cheese rolling Nettle eating Others Adventure racing Caving Crane climbing Extreme ironing Extreme Pogo Fell running Obstacle racing Orienteering Paintball Powerbocking Slacklining Ultramarathon Zip - lining Commons Sports Portal GND : 4212305 - 7 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bobsleigh&oldid=831141611 '' Categories : Bobsleigh Human - powered vehicles Winter Olympic sports Racing Racing vehicles Sledding Sliding vehicles Sports originating in Switzerland Winter sports Hidden categories : Articles containing French - language text Spoken articles Articles with hAudio microformats Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2014 All articles containing potentially dated statements Articles to be expanded from December 2010 All articles to be expanded Articles using small message boxes Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Afrikaans Aragonés Asturianu Azərbaycanca Башҡортса Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Bikol Central Български Bosanski Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Galego 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית ქართული Қазақша Latina Latviešu Lietuvių Magyar Македонски Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Occitan Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча Polski Português Română Русский Scots Sicilianu Simple English Slovenčina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog Татарча / tatarça Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 粵語 中文 54 more Edit links This page was last edited on 18 March 2018, at 23 : 53. 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Question: where was the world's first bobsleigh track built
Answer: St. Moritz, Switzerland