4 Things about Skeleton Racing You Didn’t Know

Skeleton racing is undoubtedly a terrifying sport.

However, despite its confusing name, the sport is pretty simple, where the racers take a running start and hurtle headfirst down the icy track on a sled.

But there’s much more to the game—like skillful maneuvering and sliding down an icy track that could instill the fear of God in someone.

Here are a few things about skeleton racing that you may not know of.

It Was Invented In Switzerland

Skeleton racing was born in the sports mecca of the world: St. Moritz, Switzerland. The name came from the fact that the sled is so thin that it bears a resemblance to a human skeleton.

The first track for skeleton racing was also built in Switzerland in 1884, but it didn’t make it to the Winter Olympics until 1928. It also became a permanent Olympic event in 2002.

It Isn’t the Same as Luge

Skeleton racing and luge aren’t twins—they’re only siblings. Even though both are single-persons sports and require the riders to dash down an ice track, there’s one key difference between them.

In skeleton racing, the riders race headfirst with their feet lifted off the track, whereas in luge, the rider’s go down feet first. In addition to that, the sled in skeleton racing weighs around 70 pounds and has no breaks or steering mechanism either.

It’s More Complicated Than It Looks

While technically skeleton racers are throwing themselves down the hill, the sport is far more complicated than that.

Sliders need to train themselves to take advantage of the momentum and learn various maneuvering techniques to steer the sled.

They also have to learn to adjust their center of gravity to shift the board by positing their knees and shoulders differently.

The U.S. Has Won the Most Medals in Skeleton Racing

Around 22 nations sent their athletes for skeleton running in the 2018 Winter Olympics, out of which seven of the countries, including Ghana, were first-timers.

The team from the USA bagged the most medals in the skeleton racing history—8 medals, 3 of which were gold.

The USA may have won the most medals in skeleton racing, but I’m determined to succeed in 2022 for Ghana and Africa.

As the first black male Skeleton athlete from Africa, I’m more determined than ever to represent my country in the Olympics.

Become a part of my journey as I train for the Beijing Olympics 2022 for skeleton sport!