|
|
|
Face down. Head first. 85mph. 5 G’s. And chin inches from the floor down a tunnel of ice…
THAT’S SKELETON!
Also known as bob skeleton in the UK, it was begun in St Moritz, Switzerland in the 19th century by the British. An Olympic event at the same venue in 1928 and 1948, skeleton reappeared for good at the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.
We slide down the track in a kevlar helmet, aerodynamic suit and needle-spiked shoes, on a specially designed sled. The sled weighs 33kg (about 5 stones) has a flexible frame (originally resembling a “skeleton”), tailored saddle, fibreglass under-carriage, and two engineered and highly polished runners which interact with the ice. It is like a large and very sophisticated tea-tray!
|
|
|
 |
