Feb 9, 2014

Considered to be one of the most dangerous Olympic winter sports, luge competitors put on some serious game faces before soaring down the Sochi track.

: Austria’s Daniel Pfister prepares to compete during the Men’s Luge Singles run two at the Sliding Center Sanki during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 8, 2014. (Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images)

: Austria’s Daniel Pfister prepares to compete during the Men’s Luge Singles run two at the Sliding Center Sanki during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 8, 2014. (Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images)

: Latvia’s Kristaps Maurins prepares to compete during the Men’s Luge Singles run two at the Sliding Center Sanki during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 8, 2014. (Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images)

: Tucker West of the United States prepares to make a run during the men’s luge training session ahead of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at the Sanki Sliding Center on February 6, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

: Summer Britcher of the United States looks on prior to a Women’s luge run during a training session ahead of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at the Sanki Sliding Center on February 6, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

: Kate Hansen of the United States looks on prior to a Women’s luge run during a training session ahead of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at the Sanki Sliding Center on February 6, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

: Semen Pavlichenko of Russia prepares to make a run during the men’s luge training session ahead of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at the Sanki Sliding Center on February 6, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

: US Kate Hansen gestures during a Women Luge training session at the Sanki Sliding Centre in Rosa Khutor on February 8, 2014, during the Sochi Winter Olympics. (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

: Kate Hansen of the U.S. prepares for the start during the women’s luge training at the Sanki sliding center in Rosa Khutor, a venue for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics near Sochi, February 6, 2014. (REUTERS/Murad Sezer)

: Germany’s Andi Langenhan speeds down the track during men’s luge training at the Sanki sliding center in Rosa Khutor, a venue for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics near Sochi, February 6, 2014. (REUTERS/Murad Sezer)

: Tucker West (USA) during his training session prior to the start of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games at Sanki Sliding Center. (John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)

: Armin Zoeggeler (ITA) launches down the start ramp during training runs during the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games at Sanki Sliding Center. (John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)

: Andriy Kis (UKR) adjusts his face mask during training runs during the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games at Sanki Sliding Center. (John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)

: Donghyeon Kim of Korea finishes in the Luge during a training session ahead of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at the Sanki Sliding Center on February 7, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

: Christopher Mazdzer of the U.S. prepares to start in a men’s luge training session at the Sanki sliding center in Rosa Khutor, a venue for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics near Sochi, February 7, 2014. (REUTERS/Murad Sezer)

: Austria’s Wolfgang Kindl prepares for the start during a men’s luge training session at the Sanki sliding center in Rosa Khutor, a venue for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, near Sochi, February 7, 2014. (REUTERS/Murad Sezer)

: Germany’s David Moeller starts during a men’s luge training session at the Sanki sliding center in Rosa Khutor, a venue for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, near Sochi, February 7, 2014. (REUTERS/Murad Sezer)

: Germany’s Andi Langenhan prepares for the start during a men’s luge training session at the Sanki sliding center in Rosa Khutor, a venue for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, near Sochi, February 7, 2014. (REUTERS/Murad Sezer)

: Germany’s Andi Langenhan starts during a men’s luge training session at the Sanki sliding center in Rosa Khutor, a venue for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, near Sochi, February 7, 2014. (REUTERS/Murad Sezer)

: Italy’s Armin Zoeggeler prepares for the start during the men’s luge training at the Sanki sliding center in Rosa Khutor, a venue for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, near Sochi, February 7, 2014. (REUTERS/Murad Sezer)

: Poland’s Natalia Wojtusciszyn practices during a Women Luge training session at the Sanki Sliding Centre in Rosa Khutor on February 8, 2014, during the Sochi Winter Olympics. (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

: Germany’s Natalie Geisenberger practices during a Women Luge training session at the Sanki Sliding Centre in Rosa Khutor on February 8, 2014, during the Sochi Winter Olympics. (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

: US Summer Britcher practices during a Women Luge training session at the Sanki Sliding Centre in Rosa Khutor on February 8, 2014, during the Sochi Winter Olympics. (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

: Austria’s Nina Reithmayer practices during a Women Luge training session at the Sanki Sliding Centre in Rosa Khutor on February 8, 2014, during the Sochi Winter Olympics. (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

: Italy’s Dominik Fischnaller competes during the Men’s Luge Singles Run at the Sliding Center Sanki during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 8, 2014. (Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images)

: Austria’s Wolfgang Kindl prepares to compete during the Men’s Luge Singles Run at the Sliding Center Sanki during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 8, 2014. (Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images)

: Austria’s Wolfgang Kindl competes during the Men’s Luge Singles Run at the Sliding Center Sanki during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 8, 2014. (Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images)

: Austria’s Reinhard Egger competes during the Men’s Luge Singles Run at the Sliding Center Sanki during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 8, 2014. (Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images)

: Austria’s Nina Reithmayer adjusts her helmet at the women’s singles luge training session at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games at the Sanki Sliding Center February 8, 2014. (REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann)

: Germany’s Andi Langenhan starts in the men’s singles luge competition at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, February 8, 2014. (REUTERS/Murad Sezer)

: Austria’s Miriam Kastlunger adjusts her helmet at the women’s singles luge training session at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games at the Sanki Sliding Center February 8, 2014. (REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann)

: Germany’s Natalie Geisenberger adjusts her helmet at the women’s singles luge training session at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games at the Sanki Sliding Center February 8, 2014. (REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann)

: Italy’s Andrea Voetter waits to start her women’s singles luge training session at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games at the Sanki Sliding Center February 8, 2014. (REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann)

: Russia’s Natalja Khoreva (L) and compatriot Tatyana Ivanova wait to start their women’s singles luge training session at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games at the Sanki Sliding Center February 8, 2014. (REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann)

: Russia’s Ekaterina Baturina prepares to start her women’s singles luge training session at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games at the Sanki Sliding Center February 8, 2014. (REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann)

: Russia’s Natalja Khoreva reacts as she takes part in the women’s singles luge training session at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games at the Sanki Sliding Center February 8, 2014. (REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann)

: Germany’s Andi Langenhan adjusts his helmet next to his coach as he prepares to start in the men’s singles luge competition at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, February 8, 2014. (REUTEGermany’s Andi Langenhan adjusts his helmet next to his coach as he prepares to start in the men’s singles luge competition at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, February 8, 2014. (REUTERS/Murad Sezer)RS/Murad Sezer)

: Emanuel Rieder (ITA) during the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games at Sanki Sliding Center. (John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)

: Aidan Kelly (USA) during the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games at Sanki Sliding Center. (John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)

The competition:

Four gold medals are up for grabs. Individual competitions for men and women in the singles are held over two days with two runs per day. The four times are added together, and the fastest total time determines the winner.

The doubles is a one-day competition, in which the fastest total time of two runs determines the winner. There is no written rule that says a team must comprise members of the same sex, but men traditionally ride together.

The team relay will be introduced at the Sochi Games for the first time and will feature one woman, one man and one doubles team from each nation sliding back-to-back-to-back runs. At the finish each athlete must touch the special touch pad, which automatically opens the in-run gate for the next team member.

History:

Of the three Olympic sliding sports, which include bobsleigh and skeleton, luge is the fastest and most dangerous.

Germany have been the dominant sliders in the sport since luge was introduced at the 1964 Innsbruck Winter Olympics.

German great Georg Hackl won three golds and two silvers between 1988 and 2006. Italian Armin Zoeggeler, 40, also has five medals, including two golds, and if he makes the podium in Sochi he will become the first Winter Olympian to win six medals in a single event.

Considered to be one of the most dangerous Olympic winter sports, the 2010 Games were overshadowed by the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili on a training run on the day of the opening ceremony.

The venue:

The Olympic track at the Sanki Sliding Centre winds its way across the northern slope of the Aibga Ridge with a finishing area located in Rzhanaya Polyana.

The overall length of the track is 1,814 meters, 314 of which are taken up by the braking area.

There are 17 curves with a vertical drop of some 132 meters from top to bottom, with its highest point being located at 836 meters above sea level and its lowest point at 704 meters.

There are three negative slopes to slow competitors down – with safety as the primary concern following the death of Kumaritashvili.

(Compiled by Reuters)

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2 Comments

Stan Wagon
Feb 09, 2014 @ 11:36:59

You said the overall length is 1.814 meters, which is about 5 feet. Presumably this crept it because you took the text from a Euro document without reading it. Or else someone made a very bad, but sadly common, error in using the metric system. Correct is

1.814 kilometers
or
1,814 meters

- Michael Gold
  Feb 17, 2014 @ 13:39:18
  
  Hi Stan: Thanks for pointing that out. We used information provided to us by the Reuters wire service, who appears to have been writing for a European audience. We’ll change that information to reflect our numerical style.

Preparing for takeoff: Getting ready for the Olympic luge

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