Bobsledding has been a part of the Winter Olympic Games since the first Winter Olympics in 1924 in Chamonix.

Bobsleigh or bobsled (as it is known in the US) originated in the Swiss village of St.Moritz in the 19^th century. This sport became open for women in the 2002 Olympics at Salt Lake City; however, they only competed in the two-man bobsleigh not the four-man bobsleigh.

A modern bobsleigh is built with a rounded fiberglass nose and four highly polished steel runners to make it fast and aerodynamic. This game is a combination of teamwork, immense control and breathtaking speed. Speeds may exceed from 130 to even 150 km/hr over the ice. Teams start by pushing the sled together down for the first 50 m and then jump into the sled to face sharp twists and turns. There are ice sidewalls that prevent the sled form flying off the run onto the straightaway and banks that help to contain the sled.

The bobsled team comprises of members with different expertise and skill sets. In a four-man bobsleigh, the two middle athletes are known as pushers. Though pushers are the strongest and most powerful of the team members, they become motionless once the game starts. Once inside the sled, the driver takes over and is in charge of steering. The athlete known as the brakeman gets in the sled last, and as the name suggests is responsible for braking at the end of the game. The brakeman also happens to be the fastest athlete in the game. During competitive season, bobsleigh athletes have to practice sliding for at least two to three runs on a track every day.

Off-season time is training time for the bobsledders to sharpen their skills and techniques. Training programs include strength training, weight training and sprinting to build the power required for the push start. Athletes also focus on correcting muscle imbalances that may occur during ice training sessions. The weight room program consists of lower body conditioning and strengthening, including squats, hurdle jumps and power cleans. There are also some upper body and abdominal exercises to develop core strength.

In the off-season, bobsledders build their cardiovascular training on dry land and take up sprinting for 30 m and 60 m intervals. They also practice their push start on short indoor ice tracks. These training sessions are conducted to make the athletes feel comfortable with the team, the game, the equipment and also to get a feel of the track. Practice runs make them familiar with the variables that will work best for them. Refueling and recovery are a must in maintaining strength, power and speed and high performance sports nutrition is a compulsory component for every athlete.

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Tags: bobsleigh, Olympics

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