 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source .(April 2019) |
Udo Gurgel (born 1938 in Schwerin, Germany) is a German engineer and designer of luge, bobsled and skeleton tracks. [1]
| | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source .(April 2019) |
Udo Gurgel (born 1938 in Schwerin, Germany) is a German engineer and designer of luge, bobsled and skeleton tracks. [1]
Gurgel studied structural engineering at the School of Civil Engineering in Cottbus until 1963 and then at the Bauhaus University, Weimar. He then worked as an engineer on the team commissioned with the planning of a track for Oberhof, Germany in 1966: the Oberhof bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track. Since then, he has designed and constructed bobsleigh and toboggan runs.
In 1968, the Scientific and Technical Centre for sports facilities (STC sports facilities) in Leipzig, commissioned the first bobsleigh and luge track to be built in East Germany, following the first permanent track in West Germany: the Königssee bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track. Since Gurgel and his colleagues had no insight into the detailed planning of the Königssee track - i.e. because the countries were rivals because of the cold war - many technical solutions had to be rethought. Thus they developed the use of no wood for shuttering the curve geometry, the STC and the contractor Ulrich Müther together made a concrete formwork free injection method, which is still used in railway construction. In addition, use was made for the first time of calculations by a mainframe computer. The luge track in Oberhof was the first fully computer calculated path in the world.
The development of the luge and bobsleigh meant that from 1982-86 a second track in the Erzgebirge Altenberg was constructed. It was commissioned by the then Ministry for State Security which demanded secrecy, thus preventing successful teamwork which had a negative impact on construction, so that the track had to be rebuilt after a testing season. After this setback, engineers specialized more in design, planning and calculation and developed their own software, so that Gurgel's engineering firm is today a leader in the planning of bobsled and luge tracks around the world.
After German reunification, Gurgel became independent and in 1993 founded an engineering office in order to implement the long-term experience of STC sports facilities. Today the engineering firm is called Gurgel + Partner Leipzig with Mike Richter and Jörg Penseler. Gurgel is officially active only as a consultant.
Gurgel has lived in Leipzig since 1966.
Bobsleigh or bobsled is a team winter sport that involves making timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sleigh. International bobsleigh competitions are governed by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, also known as FIBT from the French Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing. National competitions are often governed by bodies such as the United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton, and the German Bobsleigh, Luge, and Skeleton Federation.
Skeleton is a winter sliding sport in which a person rides a small sled, known as a skeleton bobsled, down a frozen track while lying face down and head-first. The sport and the sled may have been named from the bony appearance of the sled.
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.
Kristan Bromley is a retired British skeleton racer who has competed since 1996. He won the gold medal in the men's event at the 2008 FIBT World Championships in Altenberg, Germany. This was Great Britain's first gold medal at the FIBT World Championships since 1965.
Shauna L. Rohbock is a retired Olympic medal-winning bobsledder, former professional soccer player, and is a staff sergeant in the Utah Army National Guard. After retiring from competitions she worked as a bobsled coach at the Utah Olympic Park.
The FIL World Luge Championships, part of the International Luge Federation (FIL) have taken place on an almost annual basis in non-Winter Olympics years since 1955. These championships are shown for artificial tracks. See FIL World Luge Natural Track Championships for all natural track events that have taken place since 1979.
Kreisel is the name of a turn found on some bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton tracks around the world. It is a single continuous curve which turns far enough around that the track must go under itself on the exit of the curve.
The FIL European Luge Championships, part of the International Luge Federation (FIL) have taken place since 1914. From 1914 to 1934, these championships were part of the Internationaler Schlittensportsverband. From 1935 to 1956, the championships were held under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing. Since 1962, the event has been under the auspices of the FIL and has been held in even-numbered years since 1980. Since 2012, it is held annually.
The FIBT World Championships 2011 took place 14 February – 27 February 2011 in Königssee, Germany, for the fifth time, doing so previously in 1979, 1986, and 1990 (skeleton), and 2004. In 2007, the championships were awarded to Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy over Winterberg Germany, but Cortina withdrew in February 2009 to issues with the city of Cortina.
The Oberhof bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track is a venue used for bobsled, luge and skeleton located in Oberhof, Germany.
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 54 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.
The Olympic Sliding Centre Innsbruck is a venue for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton located in Igls, Austria. 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. It hosted the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton competitions for the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics.
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 third and most recent version of the track was completed in 2000 with the track hosting both the first FIBT World Championships and FIL World Luge Championships done outside of Europe, doing so in 1949 and 1983. 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 tracks in the nation, the other is at Mt. Van Hoevenberg near Lake Placid, New York.
Kaillie Humphries is a Canadian-American bobsledder. Representing Canada, she was the 2010 and 2014 Olympic champion in the two-woman bobsled and the 2018 Olympic bronze medalist with brakewoman Phylicia George. With her victory in 2014, she became the first female bobsledder to defend her Olympic title and was named flagbearer for the Olympic closing ceremony with brakewoman Heather Moyse.
Manuel Machata is a German former bobsledder who competed from 2005 to 2015.
The 2013–14 Luge World Cup was a multi race tournament over a season for luge organised by the FIL. The season started on 16 November 2013 in Lillehammer, Norway and ended on 26 January 2014 in Sigulda, Latvia. After the World Cup, the athletes moved for two weeks to Sochi for the Luge event in the XXII Olympic Winter Games.
Julia Taubitz is a German luger.
Anna Berreiter is a German luger. She is two-time Under-23 World Champion and won a silver medal in the sprint event at the 2021 FIL World Luge Championships, as well as the 2022 Winter Olympics. Berreiter is the youngest woman to win a Luge World Cup race and so far, won 3 World Cup singles races in her career.