Bobsled
Bobsleigh is one of the winter Olympic (since 1924) sports, the aim of which is downhill racing along specially equipped ice channels on an elongated sleigh.
During the competition, each crew is provided with 4 arrivals with beans (bobsleigh sleigh). After that, the time of all attempts is summed up — the team with the lowest overall score becomes the winner. Some believe that bobsled is not a competition for athletes, but for the technical equipment of their equipment, that is, a sleigh. In part, they are right – significant sums are spent on upgrading beans. Since lubrication on skids is prohibited, and the weight is regulated (up to 165 kg – double and up to 230 kg – four-seater), scientists are constantly working on a more streamlined shape and on skids, which would create less friction. Almost every year there are new items in bobsleigh outfit – costumes in which it is not cold and not hot, strong helmets and special shoes that have small spikes on the sole to repel the snow surface.
The team of athletes includes a pilot (controls the bob) and a brake driver (responsible for braking), and a team of 4 people also has 2 pushers (which accelerate the sled at the start and are responsible for the balance throughout the course). The speed at a distance can reach 150-160 km / h. Not every country can afford to have a national bobsled team, and the matter is not only in weather conditions, but also in providing athletes with a training base, which should have a specially equipped chute. For a long time, bobsleighs from Switzerland were not equal – they won the world championship 20 times with a team of 4 participants and 17 with a team of 2 participants, but recently the world bobsleigh leaders are athletes from Germany.
There are many films about this spectacular sport. One of the most interesting is “Steep Turns” (based on real events), which not only shows the team’s preparation physically and technically, but also the fact that perseverance and dedication plays a huge role in achieving a sports dream.
