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What is Bobsleigh?

Bobsleigh is essentially a race in a sled for two or four people down a 1500m ice track containing at least fifteen banked curves in the fastest time possible – speeds of up to 90 mph can be achieved.

How did it start?

Bobsleigh, surprisingly enough was invented by the English. A group of holidaymakers in Switzerland in 1890, wanted to create a sled that could carry people down the snow-covered road between St Moritz and Celerina.

The new sport immediately caught on and a special track, complete with banked curves, made of ice, was constructed next to the road in 1902.

The sport started as a leisure activity for the rich young daredevils of Europe who gathered for fun on the alpine slopes, but was added to the Winter Olympics as a four-man event at the Winter Olympics in Chamonix 1924 and two-man later at Lake Placid in 1932.

The first races were for 5 and 6 people and a requirement of the competition was that each crew included at least one woman. This requirement was dropped in the 1930s and the disciplines altered to 2 and 4 man events.

Why Bobsleigh?

Bobsleigh is so named because of the way crews bobbed back and forth to start the bob and to increase their speed on the straights.

The Major Players

Switzerland has won more Winter Olympic Bobsleigh medals than any other nation. The early British influence dwindled as the dominance of the alpine nations increased.

Britain’s finest moment

Great Britain has won four medals in Winter Olympic Bobsleigh history. The only Gold came in 1964 at the Innsbruck Games where Britain’s Anthony Nash and Robin Dixon (Lord Glentoran) finished ahead of two Italian sleds in the two-man event. At the Nagano Games in 1998 the British team of Sean Olsson, Dean Ward, Courtney Rumbolt and Paul Attwood finished a thrilling competition to win the Bronze medal behind Germany and Switzerland and in joint position with the French.

Women’s Bobsleigh will be included for the first time in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Bob Skeleton

Another new addition to the Winter Olympic Programme for 2002, Bob Skeleton is a single-person event, which involves travelling the same course as the sleds face-down and head-first. The discipline has its origins back in the early 1890s, although modern day world competition only really commenced in 1982 for men and in the early 1990s for women. Great Britain has made its mark already, taking the World Cup races in both the men’s and the women’s events, with Alex Coomber currently at the top of the women’s World Cup rankings. Although new for this coming Winter Olympic programme, the sport has appeared before (as Cresta) at the 1928 and 1948 Winter Olympics in St Moritz.

The Main Characters

The British Bobsleigh Association was formed in 1927, and is now based in Salisbury. The sport has a long tradition of support from the armed forces, and a number of the UK’s top athletes are British servicemen and women.

Performance Director: Tony Wallington – a former British Bobsleigher himself Tony competed in the 4-man squad in the 1980 and 1984 Olympics and has attended all since as part of the team management.

Athletes: The World Class Performance funded 4-man squad is made up of Sean Olsson (a veteran of the 1998 Bronze medal), Scott Rider, Paul Attwood, Phil Goedluck, Damien Greaves and Marcus Adam. It is a sport that requires immense sprinting power, and several ex-sprinters have taken up the sport.

In the women’s events Michelle Coy and Claire Nex are currently competing in GBR1 in the World Cup Championships.

Following trials, testing and the British championships, changes to the World Class Performance Programme squad for the second half of the season are likely.

In Bob Skeleton, Kristan Bromley and Alex Coomber (née Hamilton) are the top placed British competitors – Alex is currently at the top of the world rankings.

Forthcoming Competition

Men’s Bobsleigh World Cup Final, 6-11 March Lake Placid, USA

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