A competition based on a sled that takes place on the same run as the Bobsleigh and Skeleton.
The competitor sits on the sled and rocks forward and back on fixed handles. Having let go, the athlete then paddles on the ice with his hands (wearing spiked gloves to give better traction with the ice) and then lie on their back and steer the sled with paddles on the inside of each calf that are an elongation of the runners.
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The modern version of luge can trace its origins back to the pastime of tobogganing down hills. Luge is the French word for sled, and historical findings point to the existence of sleds, as early as AD 800 when the Vikings used them in the Slagen countryside near the Oslo Fjord.
The sport of luge involves competitors propelling the luge forward, at the start in a sitting position gathering speed by paddling their hands and then lying back to wind their way down through the corners.
An Australian student George Robertson won what is reputed to be the world’s first international sled race, in 1883 in Davos, Switzerland. He outslid 19 other competitors from England, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States on a four kilometre stretch of road from St. Wolfgang to Klosters to share the victory with Klosters mailman Peter Minsch.
It was not till 72 years later that the first world championships occurred on an artificial track in Oslo in 1955. Two years later, the International Luge Federation (FIL) was founded in Davos, Switzerland.
The luge was included in the Winter Olympic program for the first time at Innsbruck 1964 and has remained on the program ever since. Women have competed in this event from the start, but so far only in singles, though following Albertville there have been no regulations preventing women from competing in doubles.
The Olympic Luge competition format is unique in that it takes place over two days and includes four runs for each competitor. This is done to make sure competitors can perform well if conditions are different on the two days and ensure that consistency and the ability to endure pressure is rewarded.
A luge is a sled set on two separate runners of steel metal blades with a pod seat set on a bridge in between them. Mechanical braking devices are prohibited. The maximum weight for a sled is 23kg for a singles and 27kg for a doubles. The maximum width of a singles sled is 550mm. The racing pod may not exceed a height of 120mm.
All race clothing must conform to the body contours of the competitor. A neck strap is permitted to help an athlete hold his head up under the high G-forces they experience, but it may not lead to an aerodynamically improved form of the race clothing. Spikes, which help with paddling at the start, may be worn and can be a maximum of 4mm long. The sole of the shoe may be no more than 20mm thick and the height no more than 200mm. Any method of mechanically pointing the foot or toes is prohibited.
Singles competitions are decided on the aggregate time of four runs over two consecutive days, while doubles luge is a one-day competition of two runs. Each run counts, and the fastest total time determines the winner. Luge is one of two sports at the Winter Olympics (along with short track speed skating) that is timed to the thousandth of a second.
The temperature of the blades may not be greater than 5 degrees centigrade warmer than the control temperature taken from the anchored runner. This is checked at the start of the race, as are the weight of the sled and weight of the athlete.
Maximum weight of the sled is specified, and the temperature of the runners monitored.
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