History of Luge
Luge made its Olympic Games debut in 1964 in Innsbruck, Austria.
The Race
Olympic luge consists of three disciplines: men’s singles, women’s singles, and doubles. In World Cup, World Championships and other international competitions, two heats are held in each event. At the Olympic Games, four heats are held in singles and two in doubles. The racer or team with the lowest combined time is the winner.
The start is critical and is the only part of the run where the athlete has control over the acceleration of the sled. As a rule, a 1/10 of a second advantage in the start will multiply to a lead of 3/10 of a second at the finish.
Racers begin by sitting on open sleds. They use the start handles on the side of the track to rock the sled back and forth to burst out of the start. They then use spiked gloves on the ice surface for extra acceleration before lying down on their backs, feet stretched out in front, heads back to be as aerodynamic as possible.
The doubles’ start is essentially the same as the single’s start, with the top racer belted to the sled with a strap at the hips. With both lugers in sitting position at the start ramp, the top rider grips the start handles while the bottom rider holds on to the double straps attached to his partner's arms. RPulling on the handles in unison, they sling shot out of the start and onto the track.
After the start, an aerodynamic sliding position is quickly assumed as racers reach speeds over 140 kilometres per hour while steering their sleds with subtle movements of their shoulders, legs and hands which hold onto handles within the sled.
Luge is the only sliding sport where timing is recorded to 1/1000 of a second. In order for a run to be considered complete, the slider must cross the electronic finish eye in a seated or reclined position on their sled.
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Starting Order
The start order for the first run is determined by both a qualification run and a seeding system. The order of the first run is last place to best place (reverse order) from qualification followed by the “A” group of seeded sliders. According to the results of this first run, the second run is ordered from last place to first place.
Ranking
In World Cup competition, points are awarded according to placing. Overall World Cup titles are won in each event by competitor’s accumulating the most points over the season.
Tracks
Most artificial ice tracks today are used for both bobsleigh and luge competitions. All tracks drop a minimum vertical distance and feature numerous banked curves from top to bottom. Men's singles’ courses range from a minimum length of 1,000 metres to a maximum of 1,300 metres. For women's and doubles’ competition, tracks range from 800 to 1,050 metres in length.
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The Sled
A luge sled consists of two runners(kufens), two blades (steels) and a pod (seat). The pod rests on two bridges connecting the runners and is made of an aerodynamic fibreglass material. Weight limits for single’s and doubles’ sleds are 23 and 27 kilograms respectively. Steel blades are attached to the runners and are the only part of the sled that contacts the ice. These blades, or steels, are considered the single most important part of a racing sled. Using belt sanders, files and sandpaper, the blades are constantly adjusted and polished to make them run fast and adapt to different ice conditions and tracks.
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Equipment
Lugers use a variety of equipment including fibreglass helmets with face shields, spiked gloves, specialized footwear and skin-tight racing suits. Weight vests can be worn by lighter racers to minimize the natural advantage held by heavier competitors. The maximum amount of weight that can be worn is based on a formula. For example, senior men can carry 75 per cent of 90 kilograms minus their body weight to a maximum of 13 kilograms.
Disqualification
Disqualification (DSQs) can occur for a variety of infractions, not necessarily intentional. All equipment, such as shoes, spikes, clothing and sled must conform to set standards of weight or other measurement. For example, the sled pod must not exceed a thickness of 120 millimetres, a width of 550 millimetres (singles) and must not extend beyond the athlete's shoulders or knees. Checks are also done to ensure steel temperatures do not exceed a control maximum temperature. Athletes are weighed at a pre-determined time prior to the race and are given a maximum weight (based on a formula) that they cannot exceed during the race. If an athlete feels they have been unfairly put at a disadvantage, they have the right to protest no later than 10 minutes after the end of the heat or event. A protest fee of 50 Euros must be paid at the time of the protest, which will then be ruled on by a three-member jury. There is also random and competition testing for use of banned substances by athletes. In Canada, testing is administered by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports.
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International Sport Federation (IF)
Fédération Internationale de Luge de Course (FIL)
www.fil-luge.org
Canadian National Sport Organization (NSO)
Canadian Luge Association (CLA)
www.luge.ca
BC Provincial Sport Organization
BC Luge Association
www.bcluge.com