The Olympic Sliding Centre Innsbruck is a venue for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton located in Igls, Austria (southeast of Innsbruck). The most recent version of the track was completed in 1975 and is the first permanent, combination artificially refrigerated bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track, serving as a model for other tracks of its kind worldwide. [1] It hosted the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton competitions for the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics. [2]
In 1935, Igls hosted the two-man event of the world bobsleigh championships when the track ran from Römerstrasses to the Patscherkofel valley railroad station. [1] [3] Several fatal accidents at the finishing curve occurred during competition, causing temporarily closure of the track until safety measures were introduced. [1] In 1960, Innsbruck was awarded the 1964 Winter Olympics which led to the construction of separate bobsleigh and luge tracks for the games. [4] Track construction began in September 1961 and was officially completed in July 1963 following test runs of both tracks, including twenty injuries during the 1963 FIBT World Championships on the bobsleigh track. [4] [5] Prior to the start of the 1964 Winter Olympics, British luger Kazimierz Kay-Skrzypeski was killed in a training run on the luge course. [6] When Denver, Colorado, in the United States withdrew in 1972 after being awarded the 1976 Winter Olympics two years earlier for financial reasons, the International Olympic Committee offered the games to 1976 runner-up Whistler, British Columbia in Canada (northeast of Vancouver), but Whistler declined in the wake of the provincial elections in 1972. As a result, the IOC gave the games to Innsbruck. Construction on a new, combined track was started in 1973 under the auspices of the International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation (FIBT) and the International Luge Federation (FIL) and completed the following year. [1] [7] The track was praised by the FIL during testing in 1975 [8] and proved so successful that it fostered a commission with the FIBT and the FIL on construction of combination tracks in 1977 that continues to this day. [9] (Known as homologation, an example of this dual certification process occurred prior to the 2006 Winter Olympics, when adjustments to the track at Cesana Pariol were made following FIL concerns about the run. [10] [11] ) The track added a restaurant and was extended in 1981. [1] In 1990–1, the ladies start house at the fifth turn was renovated and the finishing stretch was extended in 1998. [1] The track was part of the OlympiaWorld-Innsbruck in 2004, the same year a general refurbishment was done on the concrete shell. [1] Today, it serves as a training facility for new bobsledders and skeleton racers. [12] It hosted the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton events for the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics. [2]
| Sport [1] [7] | Length of track (meters) | Number of turns | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bobsleigh, skeleton, and Luge - men's singles | 1270 | 14 | 14 |
| Luge - women's singles & men's doubles [7] [13] | 870 | 10 | 8.5% |
The track has a vertical drop of 98.1 meters. [12]
The 1964 Winter Olympic bobsleigh track, designed by former bobsledder and luger Paul Aste, consisted of 14 turns with a total length of 1506.36 meters, a vertical drop of 138 meters, and a maximum grade of 14.04%. [4]
| Turn Number | Name (German) | Translated name |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Startkurve | "Start curve" |
| 2., 3. | Hohes S | "High S" curves |
| 4. | Stützenkurve | "Support curve" |
| 5. | Höcker | "Peak" curve |
| 6. | Fuchsloch | "Fox hole" |
| 7. | Hohle Gasses | "Hollow lane" |
| 8. | Schanze | "Dig" |
| 9. | Hexenkessel | "Witch's pot" |
| 10. - 11. | Nadelöhr | "Needle-eye" S curves |
| 12. | Burlepautz | |
| 13. | Weckauf | "Wake on" |
| 14. | Zielkurve | "Finish curve" |
The 1964 Winter Olympic luge track, designed by former bobsledder and luger Paul Aste, consisted of 18 turns with a total length of 1063.76 meters for men singles and a vertical drop of 113.20 meters, and a maximum grade of 18.18%. [4] For women's singles and men's doubles, the length was 910.00 meters with a vertical drop of 86.27 meters [4]
| Turn Number | Name (German) | Translated name |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Startkurve | |
| 2., 3. | Labyrinth | Two turns in quick succession without a straight (labyrinth) |
| 4. | Waldkurve | "Wood curve" |
| 5. | Stoßwand | "Impact wall" |
| 6. | Gletscherblick | "Glacier view" |
| 7. | Hängematte | "Hammock" |
| 8. | Wasserschlupf | "Water slip" |
| 9. | Promenade | "Promenade" |
| 10. | Fuchsloch | |
| 11. | Koflkehre | - |
| 12. | Schoß | "Shot" |
| 13. - 14. | Mausfalle | "Mouse case" |
| 15. | Olympiakurve | "Olympic curve" |
| 16. | Wassertrog | "Water trough" |
| 17. | Zielgerade | "Finish line curve" |
| 18. | Zielkurve |
| Turn Number | Name | Reason named |
|---|---|---|
| 4., 5., 6. | Upper labyrinth | Three turns in quick succession without a straight (labyrinth) |
| 7. | Kreisel | 270-degree Kreisel (circular) curve |
| 11., 12., 13. | Lower labyrinth | Three turns in quick succession without a straight (labyrinth) |
Turns 1–3, 8-10, 14, and 15 have no names listed in the track diagram. [7]
| Sport | Record | Nation - athlete(s) | Date | Time (seconds) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobsleigh two-woman [14] | Start |  Canada - Kaillie Humphries & Heather Moyse | 22 January 2010 | 5.50 |
| Bobsleigh two-woman [14] | Track |  United States - Shauna Rohbock & Michelle Rzepka | 22 January 2010 | 53.47 |
| Luge - men's singles [15] | Start | Johannes Ludwig -  Germany | 29 November 2009 | 3.865 |
| Luge - men's singles [15] | Track | David Möller - Germany | 29 November 2008 | 48.533 |
| Luge - women's singles [15] | Start | Tatjana Hüfner - Germany | 28 November 2009 | 2.003 |
| Luge - women's singles [15] | Track | Natalie Geisenberger - Germany | 28 November 2009 | 39.569 |
| Luge - men's doubles [15] | Start |  Austria - Markus Schiegl & Tobias Schiegl | 29 November 2008 | 1.927 |
| Luge - men's doubles [15] | Track | Germany - Patric Leitner & Alexander Resch | 28 November 2009 | 39.278 |
| Skeleton - men [16] | Track | Martins Dukurs -  Latvia | 3 December 2011 | 52.69 |
| Skeleton - woman [17] | Start | Courtney Yamada - United States Amy Williams -  United Kingdom | 12 December 2008 | 5.33 |
| Skeleton - women [17] | Track | Shelley Rudman - United Kingdom | 12 December 2008 | 54.65 |
A luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine (face-up) and feet-first. A luger begins seated, propelling themselves initially from handles on either side of the start ramp, then steers by using the calf muscles to flex the sled's runners or by exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the pod. Racing sleds weigh 21–25 kg (46–55 lb) for singles and 25–30 kg (55–66 lb) for doubles. Luge is also the name of an Olympic sport that employs that sled and technique.
Sledding, sledging or sleighing is a winter sport typically carried out in a prone or seated position on a vehicle generically known as a sled, a sledge (British), or a sleigh. It is the basis of three Olympic sports: luge, skeleton and bobsledding. When practised on sand, it is known as a form of sandboarding. In Russia sledges are used for maritime activities including fishing and commuting from island to island on ice.
Cesana Pariol was the venue for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. The track, built for the games, is located in Cesana. The venue holds approximately 7,130 spectators, of whom 3,624 are seated.
The International Luge Federation is the main international federation for all luge sports. Founded by 13 nations at Davos, Switzerland in 1957, it has members of 53 national luge associations as of 2009 and is based in Berchtesgaden, Germany. In reaction to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, in March 2022 the FIL banned all Russian athletes, coaches, and officials from its events, suspended all Russian officials appointed to its Commissions and Working Groups, and deemed Russia ineligible to host any of its events.
The FIL World Luge Championships 1955 took place in Oslo, Norway under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing under their "Section de Luge". It would be the only world championship under the FIBT until formation of the International Luge Federation (FIL) in 1957.
Susi-Lisa Erdmann is an East German-German luger and bobsledder who competed from 1977 to 1998 in luge, then since 1999 in bobsleigh. She was born in Blankenburg, Bezirk Magdeburg. Competing in five Winter Olympics, she won two medals in the women's singles luge event with a silver in 1994 and a bronze in 1992, and a bronze at the inaugural two-women bobsleigh event in 2002. She is one of only two people to ever win a medal in both bobsleigh and luge at the Winter Olympics; Italy's Gerda Weissensteiner is the other.
Paul Aste was an Austrian bobsledder and luger who competed during the 1950s and the 1960s. He also took the Olympic Oath for athletes at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck.
The FIBT World Championships 2009, officially known as the Bauhaus FIBT Bobsleigh & Skeleton World Championships, February 20 to March 1, 2009, at the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track in Lake Placid, New York, for the ninth time, doing so previously in 1949, 1961, 1969, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1997 (skeleton), and 2003. Lake Placid was chosen 25–11 over Igls, Austria.
The Altenberg bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track is a venue in Germany for bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton. Located in Saxony in eastern Germany, it is northwest of Altenberg, near the border with the Czech Republic.
The Königssee bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track is a venue in Germany for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton, located in Schönau am Königssee, Bavaria, near Königssee and the border with Austria. Completed 56 years ago in 1968, it is the first permanent, artificially refrigerated bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track in the world. In July 2021, the track was severely damaged by the floods that affected the European continent, and is currently under reconstruction.
The Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Bobsled Run is a venue for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton in the United States, located at the Lake Placid Olympic Sports Complex in Lake Placid, New York. This venue was used for the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics and for the only winter Goodwill Games in 2000. The track hosted both the first FIBT World Championships and FIL World Luge Championships held outside of Europe, doing so in 1949 and 1983. The third and most recent version of the track was completed in 2000. In 2010 the bobsled track was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Utah Olympic Park Track is a bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track in the United States, located in the Utah Olympic Park near Park City, Utah. During the 2002 Winter Olympics in nearby Salt Lake City, the track hosted the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton events. Today the track still serves as a training center for Olympic and development level athletes and hosts numerous local and international competitions. It is one of two national tracks; the other is at Mt. Van Hoevenberg near Lake Placid, New York.
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The Whistler Sliding Centre is a Canadian bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track located in Whistler, British Columbia, that is 125 km (78 mi) north of Vancouver. The centre is part of the Whistler Blackcomb resort, which comprises two ski mountains separated by Fitzsimmons Creek. Located on the lowermost slope of the northern mountain, Whistler Sliding Centre hosted the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton competitions for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
The Winterberg bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track is a bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track located in Winterberg, Germany. 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, a German brewery which has its headquarters located in neighboring Meschede.
The Paramonovo bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track is a bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton located in Paramonovo, Russia, 60 kilometers (37 mi) outside of Moscow.
The Sliding Center Sanki (Санки) is a bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track located in Rzhanaya Polyana, Russia, 60 km (37 mi) northeast of Sochi. Located in the Western Caucasus. The venue hosted the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton events for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Bert Isatitsch was an Austrian educator who later became the first president of the International Luge Federation (FIL), serving from its 1957 establishment until his 1994 death.
Renato Hiromi Gimenez Mizoguchi is a Brazilian luger who competed from 2001 to 2005. He is best known for his severe injuries suffered during the homologation process of Cesana Pariol, the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, in January 2005. Mizoguchi's injuries led to a donation set up by the International Luge Federation (FIL) in Germany to pay for his expenses and also to track modifications after discussion both by the FIL and the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation during 2005 with approval finally reached in October of that year.
For the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, a total of eight sports venues were used. The games were originally awarded to Denver, Colorado in the United States in 1970, but they withdrew in the wake of Colorado residents voting against it for environmental and cost reasons in November 1972. This led to the International Olympic Committee opening up the bids for the games again, eventually awarding them to Innsbruck in February 1973. The Austrian city, having hosted the Winter Olympics in 1964, was in the process of having the venues used for those Games before Denver's with clear cutting of the alpine skiing venues, lessening of the amount of cross-country skiing routes, upgrading the ski jumps, adding lighting in the indoor sports arena to accommodate color television, and the construction of a combination bobsleigh and luge track. After the 1976 Games, the venues have remained in use, hosting events in Nordic skiing and the sliding sports. They hosted some of the events for the Winter Universiade in 2005 and seven of the eight venues served as host for the first Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2012.
