Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing
Encyclopedia
The Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT) or International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation is the main international federation for all bobsleigh
and skeleton
sports. Founded in 1923 in Paris
, France
, it has members of 14 national bobsleigh and skeleton associations and is based in Milan
, Italy
.
, Switzerland
in 1897. By 1914, competitions were taking place on natural ice courses. This growth led to the creation of the FIBT in 1923 with inclusion into the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) the following year. At the 1924 Winter Olympics
in Chamonix
, the four-man event took place. In 1930, the first FIBT World Championships
took place with the four-man event in Caux-sur-Montreux, Switzerland with the first two-man event taking place in Oberhof, Germany
the following year. At the 1932 Winter Olympics
in Lake Placid, New York
, the two-man competition debutted. In 1935, the Internationaler Schlittensportsverband (ISSV - International Sled Sport Federation in ), a forerunner to the Federation Internationale de Luge de Course
(FIL - International Luge Federation in ), was absorbed into the FIBT and a Section de Luge was created. The luge section would be abolished when the FIL was split off in 1957.
, the first changes occurred when weight limits were introduced. Since then, configurations to the tracks and the bobsleigh itself would be regulated for both competition and safety reasons. Also, bobsleigh was not included in the 1960 Winter Olympics
in Squaw Valley, California
for cost reasons in track construction. The development of artificially refrigerated
tracks in the late 1960s and early 1970s would greatly enhance speeds. World Cup competitions were first developed in the 1980s while women's competitions took place in the early 1990s. The 2-woman bobsleigh event had their first World Championships in Winterberg
, Germany in 2000 and debutted at the 2002 Winter Olympics
in Salt Lake City.
. It remained a Swiss competition until 1906 when the first competitions outside Switzerland took place competitions took place in Austria
. At the 1926 FIBT World Congress in Paris, France, it was approved that skeleton was an official Winter Olympic sport with competition taking place at the 1928 Winter Olympics
in St. Moritz. 13 competitors from five nations took part. Twenty years later, skeleton reappeared on the Olympic program when the 1948 Winter Olympics
returned to St. Moritz.
, Greece
, skeleton was replaced by luge
on the official Olympic program. This caused skeleton to fall into obscurity until the development of a "bobsleigh skeleton" which could be used on any bobsleigh track in 1970. The development of artificial tracks would also help the rebirth of skeleton as a sport.
an Championships were introduced. In 1989, skeleton World Championships were introduced with the women's championships not being formed until 2000 at Igls, Austria. The previous year, skeleton was reintroduced in the Winter Olympic program when the IOC allowed competition for the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City.
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 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...
sports. Founded in 1923 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, it has members of 14 national bobsleigh and skeleton associations and is based in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, 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...
.
Early history
The world's first bobsleigh club was founded in St. MoritzSt. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
in 1897. By 1914, competitions were taking place on natural ice courses. This growth led to the creation of the FIBT in 1923 with inclusion into the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(IOC) the following year. At the 1924 Winter Olympics
1924 Winter Olympics
The 1924 Winter Olympics, officially known as the I Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was held in 1924 in Chamonix, France...
in Chamonix
Chamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics...
, the four-man event took place. In 1930, the first 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...
took place with the four-man event in Caux-sur-Montreux, Switzerland with the first two-man event taking place in Oberhof, Germany
Oberhof, Germany
Oberhof is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district of Thuringia, Germany. It is a winter sports center and health resort. It is visited by tenfold as many tourists every year...
the following year. At the 1932 Winter Olympics
1932 Winter Olympics
The 1932 Winter Olympics, officially known as the III Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1932 in Lake Placid, New York, United States. The games opened on February 4 and closed on February 15. It would be the first winter olympics held in the United...
in 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....
, the two-man competition debutted. In 1935, the Internationaler Schlittensportsverband (ISSV - International Sled Sport Federation in ), a forerunner to the Federation Internationale de Luge de Course
Fédération Internationale de Luge de Course
The International Luge Federation is the main international federation for all luge sports...
(FIL - International Luge Federation in ), was absorbed into the FIBT and a Section de Luge was created. The luge section would be abolished when the FIL was split off in 1957.
1950s changes and beyond
Because of the growing weight issue at the 1952 Winter Olympics1952 Winter Olympics
The 1952 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VI Olympic Winter Games, took place in Oslo, Norway, from 14 to 25 February 1952. Discussions about Oslo hosting the Winter Olympic Games began as early as 1935; the city wanted to host the 1948 Games, but World War II made that impossible...
, the first changes occurred when weight limits were introduced. Since then, configurations to the tracks and the bobsleigh itself would be regulated for both competition and safety reasons. Also, bobsleigh was not included in the 1960 Winter Olympics
1960 Winter Olympics
The 1960 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VIII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event held between February 18 and 28, 1960 in Squaw Valley, California, United States. In 1955 at the 50th IOC meeting, the organizing committee made the surprise choice to award Squaw Valley as...
in Squaw Valley, California
Squaw Valley, California
Squaw Valley, California may refer to:*Squaw Valley, Fresno County, California, census-designated place located in Fresno County, California*Squaw Valley, Placer County, California, community in Placer County, California and host of the 1960 Winter Olympics...
for cost reasons in track construction. The development of artificially refrigerated
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...
tracks in the late 1960s and early 1970s would greatly enhance speeds. World Cup competitions were first developed in the 1980s while women's competitions took place in the early 1990s. The 2-woman bobsleigh event had their first World Championships in Winterberg
Winterberg
Winterberg is a town in the Hochsauerland district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and a major winter sport resort of the Wintersport Arena Sauerland.-Geography:...
, Germany in 2000 and debutted at the 2002 Winter Olympics
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
in Salt Lake City.
Early history
Skeleton was also founded in Switzerland in 1884 as part of the Cresta RunCresta Run
The Cresta Run is a natural ice 1,212.5 m long skeleton racing toboggan track in the Swiss winter sports town of St. Moritz, and one of the few runs dedicated primarily to skeleton. It was built in 1884 near the hamlet of Cresta in the municipality of Celerina/Schlarigna by Major Bulpett, eventual...
. It remained a Swiss competition until 1906 when the first competitions outside Switzerland took place competitions took place in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. At the 1926 FIBT World Congress in Paris, France, it was approved that skeleton was an official Winter Olympic sport with competition taking place at the 1928 Winter Olympics
1928 Winter Olympics
The 1928 Winter Olympics, officially known as the II Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated February 11–19, 1928 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The 1928 Games were the first true Winter Olympics held on its own as they were not in conjunction with a Summer Olympics...
in St. Moritz. 13 competitors from five nations took part. Twenty years later, skeleton reappeared on the Olympic program when the 1948 Winter Olympics
1948 Winter Olympics
The 1948 Winter Olympics, officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated in 1948 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The Games were the first to be celebrated after World War II; it had been twelve years since the last Winter Games in 1936...
returned to St. Moritz.
Fall into obscurity
At the 1954 IOC meeting in AthensAthens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, skeleton was replaced by 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...
on the official Olympic program. This caused skeleton to fall into obscurity until the development of a "bobsleigh skeleton" which could be used on any bobsleigh track in 1970. The development of artificial tracks would also help the rebirth of skeleton as a sport.
Rebirth and inclusion back into the Winter Olympics
By 1986, the FIBT started funding skeleton and introduced training schools worldwide to grow the sport. The following year, skeleton EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an Championships were introduced. In 1989, skeleton World Championships were introduced with the women's championships not being formed until 2000 at Igls, Austria. The previous year, skeleton was reintroduced in the Winter Olympic program when the IOC allowed competition for the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City.
FIBT competitions
The FIBT governs competitions on all bobsleigh and skeleton competitions at the European Championships, World Championships, World Cup, and Winter Olympic level.Presidents
FIBT have had four presidents in its existence.- Count Renaud de la FrégeolièreCount Renaud de la FrégeolièreCount Renaud de la Frégeolière was a French author who became the first president of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing , serving from 1923 to 1960.Frégeolière made his first bobsleigh descent at Leysin, Switzerland in 1907 which led him to an early career in the sport...
of FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(1886-1981), served 1923-60 - Almicare RottaAlmicare RottaAlmicare Rotta was an Italian bobsledder and sportsman who became the second president of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing , serving from 1960 to 1978.Rotta was Italian champion in the four-man bobsleigh event who also competed in rowing, boxing, and fencing with...
of ItalyItalyItaly , 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...
(1911-81), served 1960-80 - Klaus KotterKlaus KotterKlaus Kotter was a West German-German tax consultant who served as the third president of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing , serving as interim from 1978 to 1980, then as president from 1980 to 1994.Born in Prien am Chiemsee, Kotter became treasurer of the West German...
of West GermanyWest GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
(later GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) (1934-2010), served 1980-94 - Robert H. StoreyRobert H. StoreyRobert H. Storey is a Canadian bobsledder who competed from the mid 1960s to the early 1970s who later became a businessman and chairman to two communication companies in Canada...
of Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaCanadaCanada 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...
(born 1942), served 1994-2010. - Ivo FerrianoIvo FerrianoIvo Ferriani is an Italian bobsledder and sports official. In September 2010, he was elected President of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing , ending the 16 year presidency of Canada's Robert H. Storey.-Athletic career:Ferriani was on the bobsleigh team from 1984 to 1990...
of Italy (born 1960), served since 2010.
Championships
- Bobsleigh at the Winter OlympicsBobsleigh at the Winter OlympicsBobsleigh has been contested at the Winter Olympic Games since the first Winter Games in 1924, with the exception of the 1960 games in Squaw Valley when the organizing committee decided not to build a track in order to reduce expenses. Other than that exception, the four-man competition has been...
- Bobsleigh World Cup
- 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...
- Skeleton at the Winter OlympicsSkeleton at the Winter OlympicsSkeleton was part of the Winter Olympic Games program when the games were held in St. Moritz in 1928 and again in 1948, but was then removed from the program...
- Skeleton World Cup