Although many have no knowledge about it, there is a winter olympic sport similar to the famous bobsleigh called skeleton. Both in Europe and in a wide variety of countries with cold climates, it is very popular.
Gradually, it has been expanding to other latitudes such as Australia, South Africa, Brazil and even Spanish-speaking nations such as Mexico and Argentina. Despite this, the Skeleton is still not recognized everywhere as the important sport that it is.
In the event that you are interested in investigating this world, you have come to the right place, here you will find all the necessary information about this discipline. Stay with us and enjoy the article that we have made especially for you!
Contents
What is it?
Skeleton is a winter Olympic sport, very similar to Bobsleigh, with a much more dizzying sled descent. The two main differences between the two is that their participants are lying face down while competing and that they do so individually. Its purpose is quite simple, the athlete who travels the entire circuit in the shortest time possible is the one who will achieve victory.
The sled that is used in the competition does not have any kind of rudder or steering wheel, therefore, it is extremely necessary that the pilot take each of the curves of the circuit correctly. This is achieved by loading the weight of the body to one side or the other with the help of some handlebars, since, otherwise, it is most likely that a rollover will occur.
If you want to start in this world formally, it is essential to have many years of training, in this way, you would be preventing unwanted accidents. Along with bobsleigh and luge, this wonderful sport represents one of the various types of tobogganing that emerged in the Swiss Alps at the end of the 19th century.
As practiced?
As in the rest of sledding sports, in the skeleton the exit is of great importance, as this must be explosive to gain the necessary speed, that is, the fastest possible, and obtain a good time at the end of the journey. In order to obtain it easily, it is crucial that you use a special shoe that has maximum adherence.
Once the required speed is achieved in the first fifty meters, where the pilot has run next to the sled, he will place himself on the vehicle, face down, trying to give his body the best aerodynamic and flat posture. The maximum record reached in a competition in this discipline was 145 kilometers per hour, achieved by the American John Daly.
Unlike its relatives, the skeleton only has the individual modality, both in the female and male categories. Likewise, each of the competitions held around the world are carried out in two rounds, which makes it easier to choose the winner, since the one with the shortest time in achieving it will be chosen.
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