Winterberg 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 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
Germany
Germany , 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...
. It is the only track of its kind in the world with a turn that has corporate sponsorship with turn seven being sponsored by Veltins
Veltins
Brauerei C & A Veltins is a brewery in the west German city of Meschede-Grevenstein.Veltins ranks number 7 among Germany's best selling breweries....
, a German
Germany
Germany , 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...
brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
who has its headquarters located in neighboring Meschede
Meschede
Meschede is a town in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the district Hochsauerlandkreis.-Geography:Meschede is situated in the Ruhr valley, near to the Hennesee, south of the nature-park Arnsberger Wald...
.
History
Completed in 1977, the track underwent a redesign of its start house area where the women's luge start house was moved from before turn four to near the men's luge start house prior to turn one in 2006. This was done under the auspices of the International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation (FIBT) and the International Luge Federation (FIL) and included a completely covered sled storage area, new changing rooms, and facilities for coaches and officials. The women's singles luge start house was integrated near the men's singles luge start house during the construction. The track hosted the first two-woman bobsleigh world championshipsFIBT 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...
in 2000
FIBT World Championships 2000
The 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...
.
Statistics
| Sport | Length | Turns | Vertical drop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bobsleigh and skeleton | 1330 metres (4,363.5 ft) | 14 | 110 metres (360.9 ft) |
| Luge - men's singles | 1324 metres (4,343.8 ft) | 14 | 110 metres (360.9 ft) |
| Luge - women's singles | 1293 metres (4,242.1 ft) | 14 | 110 metres (360.9 ft) |
| Luge - men's doubles | 945 metres (3,100.4 ft) | 11 | 90 metres (295.3 ft) |
The venue includes a maximum grade of 15% and an average grade of 9.8%
| Turn Number | Name | Reason named |
|---|---|---|
| 1., 2., 3. | Omega Kurve | 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. |
| 7. | Veltins Veltins Brauerei C & A Veltins is a brewery in the west German city of Meschede-Grevenstein.Veltins ranks number 7 among Germany's best selling breweries.... Kriesel |
270-degree Kriesel (circular) curve sponsored by Veltins, a German brewery located in neighboring Meschede. |
| 11., 12., 13. | Labyrinth (not listed on track map) | Three 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... ) |
Turns 4-6, 8-10, and 14 have no names listed in the track diagram.
| Sport | Record | Nation - athlete(s) | Date | Time (seconds) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobsleigh two-man | Start | - Beat Hefti Beat Hefti Beat Hefti is a Swiss bobsledder who has competed since the late 1990s. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won a total of three bronze medals .... & Thomas Lamparter Thomas Lamparter Thomas Lamparter is a Swiss bobsledder who has competed since 2002. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won a bronze medal in the four-man event at Turin in 2006.... |
29 November 2008 | 5.07 |
| Bobsleigh two-man | Track | - Beat Hefti Beat Hefti Beat Hefti is a Swiss bobsledder who has competed since the late 1990s. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won a total of three bronze medals .... & Thomas Lamparter Thomas Lamparter Thomas Lamparter is a Swiss bobsledder who has competed since 2002. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won a bronze medal in the four-man event at Turin in 2006.... |
29 November 2008 | 55.86 |
| Bobsleigh four-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.... , Alexander Roediger, 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.... |
30 November 2008 | 5.01 |
| 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.... , Alexander Roediger, 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.... |
30 November 2008 | 54.54 |
| 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:... |
12 December 2009 | 5.54 |
| Luge - men's singles | Start | Andi Langenhan Andi Langenhan Andi Langenhan is a German luger who has been competing since 1995 and has been on the German national team since 2001. He won two bronze medals in the men's singles event at the FIL World Luge Championships .... - |
7 December 2007 | 4.536 |
| 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... - |
13 December 2008 | 53.233 |
| 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.... - |
31 October 2009 | 4.915 |
| Luge - women's singles | Track | 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.... - |
14 December 2008 | 56.192 |
| 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.... |
9 January 2010 | 3.616 |
| Luge - men's doubles | Track | - Walther & Grüneker | 10 January 2009 | 44.106 |
| Skeleton - men | Track | 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.... - |
28 November 2008 | 56.88 |
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...
: 1995FIBT World Championships 1995The FIBT World Championships 1995 took place in Winterberg, Germany and Lillehammer, Norway . This was the first time both cities hosted a championship event.-Two man bobsleigh:...
(bobsleigh), 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...
(women's bobsleigh), 2003FIBT World Championships 2003The FIBT World Championships 2003 took place in Lake Placid, New York, United States , Winterberg, Germany , and Nagano, Japan . Lake Placid hosted the championship event for the eighth time, doing so previously in 1949, 1961, 1969, 1973, 1978, 1983, and 1997...
(women's bobsleigh) - FIL European Luge Championships: 1982FIL European Luge Championships 1982-Men's singles:-Women's singles:-Men's doubles:-Medal table:-References:***...
, 1992FIL European Luge Championships 1992The FIL European Luge Championships 1992 took place in Winterberg, Germany for the second time after hosting the event previously in 1982. It marked the first time East Germany and West Germany competed as a unified German team since the country reunified in 1990 and in the championships since...
, 2000FIL European Luge Championships 2000The FIL European Luge Championships 2000 took place in Winterberg, Germany for the third time having hosted the event previously in 1982 and 1992. The team event format was reduced to one run each in men's doubles, men's singles, and women's singles for the total time.-Men's singles:-Women's...
, 2006FIL European Luge Championships 2006The FIL European Luge Championships 2006 took place in Winterberg, Germany for the fourth time having hosted the event previously in 1982, 1992, and 2000.-Men's singles:-Women's singles:-Men's doubles:... - FIL World Luge Championships: 1989FIL World Luge Championships 1989The FIL World Luge Championships 1989 took place in Winterberg, West Germany. The mixed team event consisting of two separate runs each in men's singles, two separate runs each in women's singles, and one run in men's doubles debutted.-Men's singles:...
, 1991FIL World Luge Championships 1991The FIL World Luge Championships 1991 took place in Winterberg, Germany for the second time, having previously hosted the event in 1989. It also marked the first time East Germany and West Germany competed as a unified German team.-Men's singles:...
External links
- BSD-portal.de track profile
- FIBT track profile - Click on video to ride down the track. Men's and women's singles luge will intersect with the bobsleigh and skeleton part of the track prior to turn one while men's doubles luge will intersect with the track prior to turn four.
- FIL-Luge track profile
- Official website &