Canada Olympic Park 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...
track located in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, 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...
. Part of Canada Olympic Park
Canada Olympic Park
Canada Olympic Park is located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The park is operated by WinSport Canada formerly the Calgary Olympic Development Association . It is currently used both for high performance athletic training and for recreational purposes by the general public...
, it hosted the bobsleigh
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....
and 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...
competitions at the 1988 Winter Olympics
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
. This track is one of only two of its type in the world to be featured in a non-documentary film when it was part of the 1993 American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film Cool Runnings
Cool Runnings
Cool Runnings is a 1993 comedy film directed by Jon Turteltaub. It is loosely based on the true story of the Jamaica national bobsled team's debut in the bobsleigh competition of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. It stars Leon Robinson, Doug E. Doug, Malik Yoba, and Rawle D...
which loosely followed the Jamaican Bobsled Team during their competition in bobsleigh at the 1988 Games
Bobsleigh at the 1988 Winter Olympics
Bobsleigh at the 1988 Winter Olympics was held at the Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta, CanadaThe event included competitors from countries with little or no snow. These countries included Jamaica , Mexico, and New Zealand...
(The other was the 1981 British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
film For Your Eyes Only
For Your Eyes Only (film)
For Your Eyes Only is the twelfth spy film in the James Bond series and the fifth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It marked the directorial debut of John Glen, who had worked as editor and second unit director in three other Bond films. The screenplay by Richard Maibaum...
which included scenes from the bobsleigh track
Eugenio Monti track
The Eugenio Monti track is a bobsleigh and skeleton track located in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. It is named after Eugenio Monti , who won six bobsleigh medals at the Winter Olympic Games between 1956 and 1968 and ten medals at the FIBT World Championships between 1957 and 1966...
in Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo is a town and comune in the southern Alps located in Veneto, a region in Northern Italy. Located in the heart of the Dolomites in an alpine valley, it is a popular winter sport resort known for its ski-ranges, scenery, accommodations, shops and après-ski scene...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.).
History
Falun
Falun is a city and the seat of Falun Municipality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 36,447 inhabitants in 2005. It is also the capital of Dalarna County...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Cortina d'Ampezzo. The track was constructed on a fast-track program running from fall 1984 to spring 1986. This was done with the help of East German technology and a consulting firm from Canada. It was the first combined track in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and only the second of its type on the continent (Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bobsleigh and luge tracks were separate when Calgary's construction was completed in spring 1986 though the Lake Placid track would be rebuilt as a combination track in January 2000.). During the 1988 Winter Olympics, the bobsleigh team from Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
debuted at these games, but crashed out during the third run of the four-man event. The story of the team would later be part of the 1993 film Cool Runnings with scenes done at the track. Skeleton was introduced to the track in the late 1980s with the track hosting the FIBT World Championships
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...
for skeleton in 1992
FIBT World Championships 1992
The FIBT World Championships 1992 took place in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This was Calgary's first time hosting a championship event. It was also an extraordinary event since men's skeleton was not included in the program of the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France.-Men's skeleton:, Sandford...
. An indoor iced push facility near the track opened up in 2001. When competition does not occur on the track, it offers programs for bobsleigh and luge open to the public.
Track technical details
Costing C$Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
27 million to complete, the track consisted of 48 reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
section with five separate starting points. The facility is designed of that like a tuning fork
Tuning fork
A tuning fork is an acoustic resonator in the form of a two-pronged fork with the prongs formed from a U-shaped bar of elastic metal . It resonates at a specific constant pitch when set vibrating by striking it against a surface or with an object, and emits a pure musical tone after waiting a...
with separate bobsleigh and luge start houses which was selected to lessen construction and maintenance
Maintenance, Repair and Operations
Maintenance, repair, and operations or maintenance, repair, and overhaul involves fixing any sort of mechanical or electrical device should it become out of order or broken...
costs. The two portions of the track merge at turn five prior to 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"...
combination curve. Lined with 100 km (62.1 mi) of refrigeration
Refrigeration
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...
coolant, the track can hold ice at air temperatures up to 20 deg C (68 deg F). Sunscreens were installed on curves directly exposed to the sunlight to keep the track smooth and prevent melting. Electronic timing systems include double photo sensors at the start and finish positions of the track and artificial lighting is used to allow for night runs on the track. Lighting was adjusted at the request of the host television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
broadcaster (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
) prior to the games to ensure proper video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
coverage for the 1988 games.
Statistics
| Sport | Length(meters) | Turns | Vertical drop (start to finish) | Average grade (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobsleigh and skeleton | 1475 | 14 | 121.48 | 8 |
| Luge - men's & women's singles | 1251 | 14 | 104.2 | 8.3 |
| Luge - men's doubles | 1081 | 10 | 81.2 | 7.5 |
Men's start at the tower start house (currently demolished) at the top of the track while the women's is at the regular starthouse at the top of the track.
| Turn Number | Name | Reason named |
|---|---|---|
| 6., 7., 8. | Omega or Omega combination | 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. |
| 9. | 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.... |
270-degree circular curve. |
| 10., 11., 12., 13. | Labyrinth | Four quick turns in 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... ) |
| 14. | Finish Curve | After the curve before the finish line. |
The turn names were initially given during the 1988 Winter Olympic broadcast (ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). All curves shown are bobsleigh curves. The luge section joins the boblsleigh and skeleton section at turn five. Turns 1 through 5 do not have turn names.
| Sport | Record | Nation - athlete(s) | Date | Time (seconds) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luge - men's singles | Start | David Möller David Möller David Möller is a German luger who has competed since 2001. He won six medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with four golds , one silver , and one bronze Möller also won four medals at the FIL European Luge Championships with one gold , one silver... - |
21 November 2009 | 4.789 |
| Luge - men's singles | Track | Armin Zöggeler Armin Zöggeler Armin Zöggeler is a luger and double Olympic champion who is an Italian national. He is one of the most successful men in the sport, nicknamed Il Cannibale , for his notable series of victories, or The Iceblood Champion, for his always cold, rational approach to the races.Zöggeler was born in... - |
30 November 2002 | 44.516 |
| Luge - women's singles | Start | Tatjana Hüfner Tatjana Hüfner Tatjana Hüfner is a German luger who is the current Olympic Champion and has competed since 2003. She won the bronze medal in the women's singles at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin... - |
21 November 2009 | 4.913 |
| Luge - women's singles | Track | Sylke Otto Sylke Otto Sylke Otto is a former German luger who competed from 1991 to 2007... - |
9 December 2005 | 46.543 |
| Luge - men's doubles | Start | - Christian Oberstolz Christian Oberstolz Christian Oberstolz is an Italian luger who has competed since 1997. He won four medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with two silvers and two bronzes .At the FIL European Luge Championships, Oberstolz won five medals with one gold , three... & Patrick Gruber Patrick Gruber Patrick Gruber is an Italian luger who has competed since 1997. He won four medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with two silvers and two bronzes .At the FIL European Luge Championships, Gruber won five medals with one gold Patrick Gruber (born January 31, 1978 in Bruneck) is an Italian... |
14 February 2009 | 1.102 |
| Luge - men's doubles | Track | - Mark Grimmette Mark Grimmette (luge) Mark Grimmette is an American luger who competed from 1990 to 2010. Competing in five Winter Olympics, he won two medals in the men's doubles event with a silver in 2002 and a bronze in 1998.... & Brian Martin Brian Martin (luger) Brian Martin is an American luger who competed from 1990 to 2010. Competing in four Winter Olympics, he won two medals in the men's doubles event with a silver in 2002 and a bronze in 1998.... |
29 November 2002 | 43.564 |
Championships hosted
- 1988 Winter Olympics1988 Winter OlympicsThe 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
- 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...
: 1992FIBT World Championships 1992The FIBT World Championships 1992 took place in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This was Calgary's first time hosting a championship event. It was also an extraordinary event since men's skeleton was not included in the program of the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France.-Men's skeleton:, Sandford...
(skeleton), 1996FIBT World Championships 1996The FIBT World Championships 1996 took place in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for a second time, hosting the event previously in 1992 . It marked the first time the bobsleigh and skeleton competition took place in the same location at the championships since 1982.-Two man bobsleigh:-Four man...
, 2001FIBT World Championships 2001The FIBT World Championships 2001 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland and Calgary, Alberta, Canada...
(Women's bobsleigh, men's and women's skeleton), 2005FIBT World Championships 2005The FIBT World Championships 2005 took place in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for the fourth time, doing so previously in 1992 , 1996, and 2001 .-Two man:-Four man:-Two woman:-Men:-Women:... - FIL World Luge Championships: 1990FIL World Luge Championships 1990-Men's singles:Hackl becomes the first person to win the world championships in consecutive years in this event.-Women's singles:-Men's doubles:-Mixed team:-Medal table:-References:****...
, 1993FIL World Luge Championships 1993The FIL World Luge Championships 1993 took place in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for the second time, having previously hosted the event in 1990.-Men's singles:Suckow is the first American to win a championship at the World or Winter Olympic level....
, 2001FIL World Luge Championships 2001The FIL World Luge Championships 2001 took place in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for the third time after hosting the event previously in 1990 and 1993.-Men's singles:-Women's singles:-Men's doubles:-Mixed team:-Medal table:-References:****...
External links
- Canada Olympic Park website including the track
- FIBT track profile - Click on video link for track. The luge section of the track intersects with the bobsleigh and skeleton portion at turn five before the start of the Omega combination.
- FIL-Luge track profile