Skeleton at the Winter Olympics

Skeleton at the Winter Olympics
Governing body FIBT
Events 2 (men: 1; women: 1)
Games
  • 1956
  • 1960
  • 1964
  • 1968
  • 1972
  • 1976
  • 1980
  • 1984
  • 1988
  • 1992
  • 1994
  • 1998

Skeleton is a winter sport featured in the Winter Olympics where the competitor rides head-first and prone (lying face down) on a flat sled. It is normally run on an ice track that allows the sled to gain speed by gravity. It was first contested at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz and again in 1948 Winter Olympics, after which it was discontinued as an Olympic sport. Skeleton was reintroduced at the 2002 Winter Olympics, with both men's and women's events, and has been held in each Winter Olympic comptetition since. Skeleton is so-named as the first metal sleds introduced in 1892 were said to resemble a human skeleton.

The sport is similar to, but not to be confused with, luge, another form of sled racing where the competitor rides on the back and feet-first. Often using the same courses, the racing physics are not identical.

Great Britain is the only nation to have won a medal every time skeleton has featured at the Olympic Games, and has won a medal in each of the four contests of Women's skeleton since its introduction, on each occasion with a different sledder.

Events

Event 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 Years
Men's skeleton
Women's skeleton
Total events 1 1 2 2 2 2

Medals

Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1  United States (USA) 3 4 1 8
2  Great Britain (GBR) 2 1 3 6
3  Canada (CAN) 2 1 1 4
4  Russia (RUS) 1 0 2 3
 Switzerland (SUI) 1 0 2 3
6  Italy (ITA) 1 0 0 1
7  Latvia (LAT) 0 2 0 2
8  Germany (GER) 0 1 1 2
9  Austria (AUT) 0 1 0 1
Total 10 10 10 30

Updated after Men's race Winter Olympics 2014.

Nations

Numbers indicate the number of skeleton racers each nation sent to that Olympics.

Nation 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 94 98 02 06 10 14 Years
 Argentina (ARG) 1 1
 Australia (AUS) 2 3 3 3
 Austria (AUT) 2 1 2 2 1 3 6
 Bermuda (BER) 1 1
 Canada (CAN) 5 5 6 4 4
 Croatia (CRO) 1 1
 Czech Republic (CZE) 1 1
 France (FRA) 1 1 1 1 1 5
 Germany (GER) 4 4 6 5 4
 Great Britain (GBR) 1 4 2 3 4 4 6
 Greece (GRE) 2 1 2
 Ireland (IRL) 1 1 1 1 4
 Italy (ITA) 2 1 2 2 2 1 6
 Japan (JPN) 3 3 3 3 4
 Latvia (LAT) 1 1 2 3 4
 Lebanon (LIB) 1 1
 Mexico (MEX) 1 1
 New Zealand (NZL) 1 2 3 2 4
 Norway (NOR) 1 1 1 3
 Poland (POL) 1 1
 Romania (ROU) 1 2 2
 Russia (RUS) 2 2 4 6 4
 Slovenia (SLO) 1 1
 South Africa (RSA) 1 1
 South Korea (KOR) 1 1 2 3
 Spain (ESP) 1 1 2
 Switzerland (SUI) 2 4 3 3 2 1 6
 United States (USA) 2 4 5 4 5 5 6
Nations 6 6 19 21 19 17
Skeleton racers 10 15 39 42 48 47

See also

References

    External links

    Media related to Skeleton at the Olympics at Wikimedia Commons

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