Bobsled - The Seattle Times

Bobsled
Sliding Centre
PUSHING
The back of the sled has
fixed push-bars for the
brakeman while the sides
have collapsible push bars
for the driver and crewmen
(two-person sleds have a
collapsible push bar for the
driver only).
FOUR-MAN SLED
AN
Va CALLAGH
nc
RD.
ou
ve
r
Brakeman
Applies brakes after
crossing the finish.
Crewman
Typically very strong
and fast, helps deliver
a swift start.
Driver
Gives orders at
the start and steers.
RUNNERS
Unlike skating blades, the runners of a bobsled
must be blunt. So, to minimize friction between
the runners and the ice, they are polished until
very smooth. Plating, coating, lubricating or
heating the runners is illegal. The temperature of the runners is taken before each
race and compared to a reference runner.
If the sled's runner is more than four
degrees warmer than the reference
runner, the sled is disqualified.
CURVE
CURVE
2
Take-out
area
FINISH
HOUSE
ESS
ACC
CURVE
11
D
ROA
CURVE
12
FINISH LINE:
Bobsled
E
CURVE
13
CURVE
14
Track lodge
information
desk
CURVE
15
Elevation: CURVE
16
2,578 feet
Spectator
Plaza
E
(7-minute walk
from main entrance
to Spectator Plaza)
Refrigeration
building
Steering
rings
Rope-andpulley system
Source: Vancouver Organizing Committee
Steering axle
STEERING
The driver steers the
sled with steering
rings that control the
front runners by a
rope-and-pulley
system. The
runners can
move about
3 inches in
either
direction.
Runner
CURVE
1
RACING
TRACK
CURVE 3
CURVE
6
CURVE 5
CURVE
4
TWO-MAN
SLED Driver
CURVE
7 Brakeman
E
CURVE 8
VIEWING:
Runner
UPPER START
(Elevation: 3,077 feet)
9
General admission
standing areas
Blackcomb
Mountain
Feb. 20 and 21
TWO-WOMAN SLEDS
Feb. 23 and 24
FOUR-MAN SLEDS
Feb. 26 and 27
(sled body)
Grandstand seating
1
MILE
Whistler
Creekside
99
Cowling
Entrance to spectator underpass
Access
Whistler 0
EVENTS: TWO-MAN SLEDS
CURVE
10
E
Alta
Lake
ATHLETES’
Whistler
VILLAGE Mountain
Crewman
WEIGHT
More weight equals
higher speeds, so teams
can add extra weight as
long as the sled’s weight
does not exceed the
maximum allowed.
Four-man sled has a
minimum empty weight
of 463 pounds and a
maximum weight of
1,389 pounds with crew
and equipment.
Two-man sled
Empty minimum: 384 lbs.
Maximum: 860 lbs.
Two-woman sled
Empty minimum: 284 lbs.
Maximum: 750 lbs.
Green Lake
WHISTLER
OLYMPIC PARK
To
The Whistler Sliding Centre will be home to the three bobsled events: four-man,
two-man and two-woman. The events entail a sled and its crew deftly navigating the 16
curves and 1,450 meters of one of the fastest sliding tracks in the world.
The sled, which looks likes a torpedo with an open back, has a steel frame that is covered
by a lightweight, smooth fiberglass or kevlar cowling (shell) that must be strong enough
to withstand significant impact with the track walls. The cowling and frame sit on four
steel runners, the front two movable for steering and the back two fixed.
THE RACE
• At the start signal, racers
sprint for about 164 feet
while pushing the sled.
• The driver jumps into the
sled first, followed by the
remaining racer or
racers. They retract
their push bars and
descend, keeping
heads low and
leaning with the
turns.
• The driver steers
through the curves,
with the sled
reaching speeds
up to 90 mph.
Driver
Collapsible
push bar
• After the sled
crosses the finish
line, the brakeman
pulls the brake lever,
bringing the sled to a
stop.
• Four heats are held
over two days, and the
team with the lowest
combined time wins. In the
event of a tie, both teams
are awarded the same place.
Research by WHITNEY STENSRUD,
Graphic by MARK NOWLIN/THE SEATTLE TIMES