To the casual observer watching the Winter Olympic every four years the feet-first aspect of luge may seem marginally – less intimidating than the skeleton of a head-first position. But that’s wrong if you think of it in terms of speed.
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The top of the large round helmet is longer than the top two feet which creates more drag slowing the sled down. The same applies to bobsleigh, which is one of the three sliding sports.
Bob’s overall cross-section is much larger so he does a little more compared to us because we have a smaller cross-section with less drag explained Staudinger 24 Luge athletes wear flat boots to further reduce drag.
Winter Olympic Luge: It’s All About the Start
You might think that a skeleton and bobsleigh based start, where players push the sled while sprinting before jumping into the boat would be the quickest and highest speed on the track. But since luge athletes start seated, how does that work?
It’s all about the ramp. When luge athletes push off the bars and row forward on the track with their spiked gloved hands. they start at the top of the track and drop down a slope to it. Staudinger explained On flat ice we can’t go faster, but as we build the ramp higher we gain speed right from the start.
Winter Olympic: Steering—Practice Makes Perfect
In all sliding games steering as close to a fine line as possible is the key to success obviously. the more sideways you hit the faster you lose. Generally speaking, luge athletes take more time to master this skill. Skeleton and bobsleigh are often a ‘second sport’ for athletes coming from athletics while luge is at an early age. In luxury people only seem to make it to the top if they start really young, so it comes down to experience Staudinger said. you can Read Lake Placid Seeks to Host Winter Olympic Events for Olympic Bobsleigh, Luge, and Skeleton
It takes a lot of driving experience, so you have to get into the sport very quickly in bobsleigh and skeleton people have to run fast to stay on top so knowing how to drive isn’t as important as starting speed. The luge is different the feel of the sled, it takes years to earn it. How do I listen to my body? How do I feel when I drift? OOr how much can I lower the angle at which it comes, based on my experience and bodily sensations?
The luge is mostly steered from the feet calves are resting on their cuffens, and athletes use their upper bodies to smooth corner entries and exits by leaning into the curve to keep it light.In skeleton the steering mostly comes from the head and shoulders and to help them.
Weight Matters—But in the Right Places
Olympic Luge has no weight maximum for athletes. Increasing flexibility can enhance speed, but it needs to be applied correctly. You want to be heavier but without a big belly because that would mean worse aerodynamics of course said Staudinger. You want to keep the cross section small.
Men weighing less than 90kg can add up to 13kg 10kg for women under 75kg , either by wearing a lead weighted jacket or by wrapping it around their thighs. For singles luge, the sled should weigh between 21 kg and 25 kg.
There are weight limits in skeleton where the combined maximum of athlete and sled is 115kg for men and 92kg for women with sled not exceeding 33kg for men and 29kg for women. Any additional weights on the skeleton are added to the sled, not to the athlete within those limits.
Winter Olympic: Parallels with Formula 1
Luge athletes can experience up to 6G of G-Forces – which means their bodies feel six times heavier than normal for them. It is similar to what drivers experience in Formula 1 racing and a lot of how Staudinger trains. Because there’s a lot of G-Forces straining the neck I do a lot of neck work, a lot of core stability, similar to Formula 1 he said.
And the experience of racing down a luge track is also like driving a fast car so if you look ahead you can see clearly but what’s to the side is fuzzy. Even when racing you want to turn your head to help aerodynamics so you rely on memory points to navigate the track.
Staudinger says he’s been down the Olympic track in Yanqing about 20 to 30 times and feels comfortable there. It’s absolutely gigantic definitely the biggest track – quite a long one it’s very challenging because you have to steer carefully on it he said.
The bobsledders and skeleton guys said the same thing it’s a very challenging track. But we know who’s likely to go faster there.
What is the Luge at the Winter Olympic?
Luge is a winter sport where athletes race down a steep, ice-covered track using specially designed sleds. Players lie down, or on their backs, with their feet guiding them down the track. Luge origins are believed to date back to around 800 AD. when Vikings competed in sled races in the mountains along the fjords near present day Oslo.
The first established model day luge competition took place in Switzerland in 1183 and luge became an Olympic sport in the 1964 Olympic Games. German Luge athletes dominate the podium at the Winter Olympics with Italian and Austrian athletes also putting on a good showing.
Winter Olympic Sliding: Equipment Essentials
The sled for the luge must have a certain weight to be legal. The sled for singles should weigh 21-25kg (46.3-55.1 pounds) and for doubles the double sled should weigh 25-30kg (55.1-66.1 pounds). There are also specific dimension requirements. Luge sleds don’t have brakes.
Luge technicians compare the temperature of the steel runners on an athlete’s sled to that of a control sled to ensure that runners are not overheating which can reduce friction and make the sled go faster. however, some weight athletes may add additional weights to a certain limit depending on the race.
Is Luge Still An Winter Olympic Sport?
Luge is still an Olympic sport. The 2022 Beijing Games will feature four luge events. Countries can enter up to three men three women two doubles teams and one relay team per event.
What Is the Winter Olympic Record for Luge?
Luge athletes have incredibly high speeds. Top speeds are around 140 km/hr, with a record of 154 km/hr (96 mph) set by Austrian Manuel Pfister in Whistler Canada leading up to the 2010 Winter Games. Most luge tracks drop an average of 30 feet 300 meters.
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