Altenberg bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track
Encyclopedia
Bobsleigh
Bobsleigh or bobsled is a winter sport in which teams of two or four make timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sled that are combined to calculate the final score....
, luge
Luge
A Luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine and feet-first. Steering is done by flexing the sled's runners with the calf of each leg or exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh 21-25 kilograms for singles and 25-30 kilograms for doubles. Luge...
and skeleton
Skeleton (sport)
Skeleton is a fast winter sliding sport in which an individual person rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down, during which athletes experience forces up to 5g. It originated in St. Moritz, Switzerland as a spin-off from the popular British sport of Cresta Sledding...
located in Altenberg, Germany
Altenberg, Germany
Altenberg is a town in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the Ore Mountains, close to the border with the Czech Republic, 15 km northwest of Teplice, and 32 km south of Dresden....
.
History
Altenberg raced bobsleigh as early as 1908 on a natural track going downhill. By the late 1970s, the East Germans who were already successful in luge, began getting success in bobsleigh. This included a total of six Winter Olympic medals in bobsleigh in 19761976 Winter Olympics
The 1976 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated February 4–15, 1976 in Innsbruck, Austria...
and 1980
1980 Winter Olympics
The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, was a multi-sport event which was celebrated from 13 February through 24 February 1980 in Lake Placid, New York, United States of America. This was the second time the Upstate New York village hosted the Games, after 1932...
, along with five world bobsleigh championship
FIBT World Championships
The FIBT World Championships, part of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing , have taken place on an annual basis in non-Winter Olympic years since 1930. A two-man event was included in 1931 with a combined championship occurring in 1947...
medals between 1977
FIBT World Championships 1977
The FIBT World Championships 1977 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland for the record thirteenth time. The Swiss city had hosted the event previously in 1931 , 1935 , 1937 , 1938 , 1939 , 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1965, 1970, and 1974.-Two man bobsleigh:-Four man bobsleigh:The East Germans earned...
and 1979
FIBT World Championships 1979
The FIBT World Championships 1979 took place in Königssee, West Germany. It was the first championships that took place on an artificially refrigerated track...
. In order to increase East Germany's effort to win more bobsleigh and luge medals both at the Winter Olympics and their respective sport's world championships, a track was constructed. The track at Altenberg was constructed under the order of then-Stasi
Stasi
The Ministry for State Security The Ministry for State Security The Ministry for State Security (German: Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS), commonly known as the Stasi (abbreviation , literally State Security), was the official state security service of East Germany. The MfS was headquartered...
(Ministry for State Security in East Germany) Minister Erich Mielke
Erich Mielke
Erich Fritz Emil Mielke was a German communist politician and Minister of State Security—and as such head of the Stasi —of the German Democratic Republic between 1957 and 1989. Mielke spent more than a decade as an operative of the NKVD during the rule of Joseph Stalin...
.Construction began in 1981 under restrictive access with a wire fence and armed patrols from the Landstreitkräfte
Landstreitkräfte
The Landstreitkräfte , also Army or Heer, was the ground based military branch of the East German National People's Army. The Land Forces Command, located at Geltow was established on 1 December 1972 as a management body created for the land forces...
(East German National People's Army
National People's Army
The National People’s Army were the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic .The NVA was established in 1956 and disestablished in 1990. There were frequent reports of East German advisors with Communist African countries during the Cold War...
) on orders from Mielke. By 1983, construction was completed though trials were less than successful. This would result in turns 11 and 12 being destroyed and rebuilt. It was not until late 1986 when the track was officially completed with homologation
Homologation
Homologation is a technical term, derived from the Greek homologeo for "to agree", which is generally used in English to signify the granting of approval by an official authority...
received from both the International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation (FIBT) and the International Luge Federation (FIL) the following year. The track was part of the training used by SG Dynamo Zinnwald
SG Dynamo Zinnwald
SG Dynamo Zinnwald is a sector of SV Dynamo located in Altenberg, Germany. Sometimes referred to as SSV Altenberg, it was founded in October 1992.-Sports covered:...
/ SV Dynamo
SV Dynamo
The Sports Club Dynamo was the sport organization of the security agencies of former East Germany. The sports club was founded on 27 March 1953 and was headquartered in Hohenschönhausen in East Berlin...
until the 1990 German reunification. Men's skeleton first competed in 1992. In 1997, the women's single luge start house was created before turn three after being shared with the men's double luge start house before turn seven from 1989 to 1996. Women's skeleton first began competition in 1999 while women's bobsleigh first started the following year. An 18th curve was modified during the summer of 2007 with the addition of a finish curve and straightaway. The weekend of 1–3 February 2008 had the track hosting the 200th FIL Luge World Cup event that began in December 1977. The track was awarded the 2012 FIL World Luge Championships
FIL World Luge Championships 2012
The FIL World Luge Championships 2012 will take place under the auspices of the International Luge Federation at the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track in Altenberg, Germany for the second time after having hosted the World championships in 1996...
at the 2008 FIL Congress in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on June 28 of that year following Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
's bid withdrawal. Refurbishment of the track for the 2012 World Luge Championships will cost €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
1.4 million which includes modernizing the electronics and refrigeration system and renovation of the women's and junior start houses.
Track technical details
The track is powered by four refrigerationRefrigeration
Refrigeration is a process in which work is done to move heat from one location to another. This work is traditionally done by mechanical work, but can also be done by magnetism, laser or other means...
condensers
Condensation
Condensation is the change of the physical state of matter from gaseous phase into liquid phase, and is the reverse of vaporization. When the transition happens from the gaseous phase into the solid phase directly, the change is called deposition....
each with a 200 kW (268 hp) capacity which combined can keep the track frozen at ambient conditions up to 20 deg C (68 deg F). Its storage tanks hold up to 45 metric tons (49.5 tons) of ammonia
Ammonia
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . It is a colourless gas with a characteristic pungent odour. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to food and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or...
, generating the equivalent of 12,000 household refrigerators. There a total of fifty sensors located throughout the track with its staff contacted at a moment's notice if anything bad occurs. Monitoring is done by closed-circuit television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
to further enhance track security The icing of the track starts in October, taking eight workers one week to evenly ice the track to a layer of 2–6 cm (0.79-2.36 in) at a temperature of -13 deg C (9 deg F).
Statistics
| Sport | Length (meters) | Turns |
|---|---|---|
| Bobsleigh and skeleton | 1413 | 17 |
| Luge - men's singles | 1387 | 17 |
| Luge - women's singles | 1220 | 15 |
| Luge - men's doubles, team relay and junior | 996 | 11 |
The venue includes a vertical drop of 122.22 meters from start to finish with a maximum grade of 15% and an average grade of 8.66%
| Image | Turn Number | Name | Reason named |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
3., 4., 5. | Omega | After the Omega Omega Omega is the 24th and last letter of the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numeric system, it has a value of 800. The word literally means "great O" , as opposed to omicron, which means "little O"... shape. |
| Image not found | 6., 7., 8., 9. | Labyrinth | Four turns in quick succession without a straight (labyrinth Labyrinth In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos... ) |
 |
10. | Kreisel | 320-degree Kreisel Kreisel Kreisel is the name of a turn found on six bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton tracks around the world. This is a turn that moves the bobsled, luge, or skeleton around between 270 and 320 degrees around the circumference of the circle.... (circular) curve. |
 |
15., 16., 17. | Zielkreisel | "Finish curve" in . Also a Kreisel curve. |
Turns 1, 2, 11-14, and 18 have no names listed in the track diagram. Turn 18 is followed by a Bremshang, a finish/braking straight.
| Sport | Record | Nation - athlete(s) | Date | Time (seconds) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobsleigh two-man | Start | - André Lange André Lange André Lange is a retired German bobsledder and the most successful bob pilot of all time who competed at senior level from 1998 to 2010. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he has won four gold medals. He was born in Ilmenau, Thuringia.... & Kevin Kuske Kevin Kuske Kevin Kuske is a German bobsledder who has competed since 1999. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he has four gold medals and one silver medal.... |
20 December 2003 | 5.12 |
| Bobsleigh two-man | Track | - Alexandre Zoubkov Alexandre Zoubkov Alexandr Yuryevich Zubkov , born 10 August 1974 in Bratsk) is a Russian bobsledder who has competed since 1999. Competing in four Winter Olympics, he won two medals with a silver in 2006 and a bronze in 2010 .... & Alexey Voevoda Alexey Voevoda Alexey Ivanovich Voyevoda is a Russian bobsledder and professional armwrestler.-Bobsleigh:A professional bobsleigher since 2002, Voyevoda won silver in the four-man bobsleigh event with teammates Philippe Egorov, Alexei Seliverstov, and Alexandre Zoubkov at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin... |
28 January 2006 | 54.64 |
| Bobsleigh four-man | Start | - Christoph Langen Christoph Langen Christoph Langen is a German bobsledder who competed for the West German and German national team from 1985 to 2005... , Sven Rühr Sven Rühr Sven Rühr is a German bobsledder who competed in the late 1990s and the early 2000s. He won three medals in the four-man event at the FIBT World Championships with two golds and one silver .-References:*... , Markus Zimmermann Markus Zimmermann Markus Zimmermann is a German former bobsledder who competed from 1984 to 2004. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he won four medals with two golds , one silver , and one bronze... , & Olav Hampel |
12 January 1996 | 5.04 |
| Bobsleigh four-man | Track | - André Lange André Lange André Lange is a retired German bobsledder and the most successful bob pilot of all time who competed at senior level from 1998 to 2010. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he has won four gold medals. He was born in Ilmenau, Thuringia.... , René Hoppe René Hoppe René Hoppe is a German bobsledder who has competed since 1998. At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, he won a gold medal in the four-man event with teammates Kevin Kuske, André Lange, and Martin Putze.... , Kevin Kuske Kevin Kuske Kevin Kuske is a German bobsledder who has competed since 1999. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he has four gold medals and one silver medal.... , & Martin Putze Martin Putze Martin Putze is a German bobsledder who has competed since the early 2000s. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won two medals in the four-man event with a gold in 2006 and a silver in 2010.... |
24 February 2008 | 53.17 |
| Bobsleigh two-woman | Start | - Kaillie Humphries Kaillie Humphries Kaillie Humphries is a Canadian bobsledder. Humphries has competed since 2004 and currently slides with Heather Moyse as her brakeman... & Heather Moyse Heather Moyse Heather Moyse is a Canadian athlete, representing Canada in international competition as a bobsledder and rugby union player, and competing at the Canadian intercollegiate level in rugby, soccer and track and field.-Awards:... |
19 December 2009 | 5.74 |
| Bobsleigh two-woman | Track | - Helen Upperton Helen Upperton Helen Lesley Upperton is a Canadian bobsledder who has competed since 2000. Upperton was born in Ahmadi, Kuwait as her parents involvement in the oil industry meant they traveled abroad. She holds dual citizenship of both Great Britain and Canada... & Jennifer Ciochetti Jennifer Ciochetti Jennifer Ciochetti is a Canadian bobsledder who has competed since 2006.-Career highlights:World Championships:... |
19 December 2009 | 56.79 |
| Men's skeleton | Start | Alexander Tretiakov Alexander Tretiakov Alexander Vladimirovich Tretiakov is a Russian skeleton racer who has competed since 2004. He won a bronze medal in the men's skeleton event at the FIBT World Championships 2009 in Lake Placid.... - |
10 February 2007 | 4.90 |
| Men's skeleton | Track | Sebastian Haupt Sebastian Haupt Sebastian Haupt is a German skeleton racer who has competed since 2001. He won the gold medal in the mixed bobsleigh-skeleton team event at the 2008 FIBT World Championships in Altenberg, Germany.Haupt also finished ninth in the men's skeleton event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in... - |
4 January 2008 | 57.24 |
| Women's skeleton | Start | Kerstin Jürgens Kerstin Jürgens Kerstin Szymkowiak is a German skeleton racer who has competed since 2002... - |
8 January 2005 | 5.51 |
| Women's skeleton | Track | Anja Huber Anja Huber Anja Huber is a German skeleton racer who has competed since 2003. She earned two gold medals at the 2008 FIBT World Championships in Altenberg, Germany, winning them in women's skeleton and the mixed bobsleigh-skeleton team event.Huber finished eighth in the women's skeleton event at the 2006... - |
5 January 2008 | 58.86 |
| Luge - men's singles | Start | Johannes Ludwig Johannes Ludwig Johannes Ludwig is a German luger who has competed since 1996. He won a bronze medal in the mixed team event at the FIL European Luge Championships 2010 in Sigulda.... - |
5 December 2009 | 7.555 |
| Luge - men's singles | Track | Albert Demtschenko Albert Demtschenko Albert Demtschenko is a Russian luger who has competed since 1992. A six-time Winter Olympian, he finally won his first medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin with a silver in the men's singles event... - |
26 November 2005 | 54.222 |
| Luge - women's singles | Start | Natalie Geisenberger Natalie Geisenberger Natalie Geisenberger is a German luger. She won a bronze medal in the women's singles event at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.... - |
6 December 2009 | 6.054 |
| Luge - women's singles | Track | Sylke Otto Sylke Otto Sylke Otto is a former German luger who competed from 1991 to 2007... - |
27 November 2005 | 53.091 |
| Luge - men's doubles | Start | - Tobias Wendl Tobias Wendl Tobias Wendl is a German luger who has competed since the 2000s. He won a silver medal in the men's doubles event at the 2008 FIL World Luge Championships in Oberhof, Germany.... & Tobias Arlt Tobias Arlt Tobias Arlt is a German luger who has competed since the 2000s. He won a silver medal in the men's doubles event at the 2008 FIL World Luge Championships in Oberhof, Germany.... |
22 January 2009 | 6.202 |
| Luge - men's doubles | Track | - Tobias Wendl Tobias Wendl Tobias Wendl is a German luger who has competed since the 2000s. He won a silver medal in the men's doubles event at the 2008 FIL World Luge Championships in Oberhof, Germany.... & Tobias Arlt Tobias Arlt Tobias Arlt is a German luger who has competed since the 2000s. He won a silver medal in the men's doubles event at the 2008 FIL World Luge Championships in Oberhof, Germany.... |
2 February 2008 | 42.109 |
Championships hosted
- FIBT World ChampionshipsFIBT World ChampionshipsThe FIBT World Championships, part of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing , have taken place on an annual basis in non-Winter Olympic years since 1930. A two-man event was included in 1931 with a combined championship occurring in 1947...
: 1991FIBT World Championships 1991The FIBT World Championships 1991 took place in Altenberg, Germany and Igls, Austria . This was Altenberg's first time hosting a championship event. Igls was hosting its third, doing so previously in 1935 and 1963...
(bobsleigh), 1994FIBT World Championships 1994The FIBT World Championships 1994 took place in Altenberg, Germany for the second time, having hosted the event previously in 1991 . This was an extraordinary event since skeleton was not included on the program at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.-Men's skeleton:-Medal...
(men's skeleton), 2000FIBT World Championships 2000The FIBT World Championships 2000 took place in Altenberg, Germany , Winterberg, Germany , and Igls, Austria . Altenberg hosted the championship event for the fourth time, doing so previously in 1991 , 1994 , and 1999...
(men's bobsleigh), 2008FIBT World Championships 2008The FIBT World Championships 2008 ran February 11–24, 2008 in Altenberg, Germany for the fifth time, having done so in 1991 , 1994 , 1999 , and 2000 . It is the first time Altenberg has hosted all of the events at one championship... - FIL European Luge Championships: 2002FIL European Luge Championships 2002-Men's singles:-Women's singles:-Men's doubles:-Mixed team:-Medal table:-References:****...
- FIL World Luge Championships: 1996FIL World Luge Championships 1996-Men's singles:-Women's singles:-Men's doubles:-Mixed team:-Medal table:-References:****...
2012FIL World Luge Championships 2012The FIL World Luge Championships 2012 will take place under the auspices of the International Luge Federation at the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track in Altenberg, Germany for the second time after having hosted the World championships in 1996...
External links
- FIBT track profile - Click on video for ride down the track. It will show the bobsleigh-skeleton part intersecting with the men's single luge track prior to turn one, the women's single luge track prior to turn three, and the men's doubles luge track prior to turn seven.
- FIL-Luge track profile
- Official website
- RSBV.de profile with the track.