| A luge is small one- or two-person sled on which one | | | | The rules are fairly simple in luge. The course is timed, |
| sleighs supine and feet-first. Steering is done by | | | | and the athlete must depart from the start handles |
| flexing the sled's runners or pulling straps attached to | | | | within a certain time once the track is declared clear. |
| the sled's runners. Luge is also the name of the sport | | | | The athlete is required to arrive at the finish with the |
| which involves racing with such sleds. It is a | | | | luge. Failure to do so results in automatic |
| competition in which these sleds race against the | | | | disqualification. However, athletes are permitted to |
| clock. | | | | stop during a run and continue their descent, with a |
| History | | | | push, after repositioning the sled on the track. |
| The Luge, like the Skeleton, and the Bobsled, | | | | There are weight restrictions on the sleds, as well as |
| originated in the health-spa town of St Moritz, | | | | restrictions on the design and construction. The |
| Switzerland, in the mid-to-late nineteenth century, | | | | 'steels' (the metal blades on the bottom of the |
| through the endeavours of hotel entrepreneur Caspar | | | | runners on which the sled slides) must be within a |
| Badrutt. Badrutt successfully sold the idea of winter | | | | certain temperature range relative to the air |
| resorting, as well as rooms with food, drink, and | | | | temperature. There are also weight restrictions on |
| activities. His more adventurous English guests began | | | | the athletes, as well as many other restrictions |
| adapting delivery boys' sleds for recreation, which led | | | | related to equipment including speedsuits, boots, |
| to collisions with pedestrians as they sped down the | | | | helmets, gloves, spikes, etc. |
| lanes and alleys of the village. This had two | | | | Like other timed sports, qualifying determines start |
| outcomes: in the short term the guests began to | | | | position, important during deteriorating track |
| devise methods of steering the sleds, and so | | | | conditions. During World Cup and World Championship |
| invented the Skeleton (head first, prone), the Luge | | | | events, two runs determine the winners of the Men's |
| (feet first, supine), and the two- and four-man | | | | Singles, Women's Singles, and Doubles events. At the |
| Bobsleighs (Bobsleds). In the long term, in the | | | | Winter Olympics, Men and Women Single event are |
| interests of pedestrian safety, he built a special track | | | | timed over four runs while the Doubles still do two |
| for his guests' activities -- the world's first "half-pipe", | | | | runs. For the World Cup and World Championship |
| in about 1870. The track is still in use today; it has | | | | Team Event, one run each is performed from the |
| been used as a venue in two Olympiads, and is one | | | | respective country's Doubles, Women's Singles, and |
| of the few natural weather tracks that do not | | | | Men's Singles with the combined time determining the |
| depend on artificial refrigeration. Its success | | | | winner. The Challenge Cup is a single round elimination |
| eventually enabled Badrutt to build the Palace Hotel; | | | | event, similar to what you see in Drag Racing or |
| he was able to retain the popular Krup Hotel, which | | | | Team pursuit track cycling where the sliders have a |
| catered for different clientele and brought in | | | | qualifying round to get bracketed, then run down the |
| competition as Alpine winter tourism increased in | | | | track in respective rounds (quarterfinals, semifinals, |
| popularity. | | | | and finals) until a winner is determined. |
| The first organized meeting of the sport took place | | | | Artificial tracks |
| in 1883 in Switzerland. In 1913, the Internationale | | | | Artificial Tracks have specially designed and |
| Schlittensportverband or International Sled Sports | | | | constructed banked curves plus walled-in straights. |
| Federation, was founded in Dresden (Germany). This | | | | Most tracks are artificially refrigerated, but artificial |
| body governed the sport until 1935, when it was | | | | tracks without artificial cooling also exist (for |
| incorporated in the Fédération | | | | example, St. Moritz). Tracks tend to be very smooth. |
| Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT, | | | | The athletes ride in an aerodynamic and flat position |
| International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation). | | | | on the sled, keep their heads low and steer by |
| After it had been decided that luge would replace the | | | | shifting their body weight as well as pressing in on |
| sport of skeleton at the Olympic Games, the first | | | | the runners with their feet. They speed around high |
| World Championships in the sport were held in 1955 in | | | | banked curves while experiencing a centripetal pull of |
| Oslo (Norway). In 1957, the Fédération | | | | up to 4G. Men's Singles have their start locations near |
| Internationale de Luge de Course (FIL, International | | | | where the bobsled and skeleton competitors at most |
| Luge Federation) is founded. Luge events were first | | | | tracks while both the Doubles and Women's Singles |
| included in the Olympic Winter Games in 1964. | | | | competition have their starthouse located further |
| Rules | | | | down the track. |