1. Olympic Bobsled By Chris R.

2. How Much the Bobsled Weighs  A four person bobsled with the drivers have to weigh 1,500 pounds or 630 kilograms.  A two person bobsled has to weigh860 pounds or 390 kilograms.  The bobsled is 12 feet long.

3. The Track & the Race  The bobsled goes up to eighty miles per hour.  The track is 1,500 meters long.  The pushers push it fifty meters.  There has to be fifteen icy twists and turns.

4. Players on the team  In two men bobsledding there is one pusher or brakeman and one driver  In a four-man bobsled there are three pushers and one driver  The driver navigates the bobsled, while the pushers give it energy to move.  Pusher pushes sled from starting point to 50 meters away and jumps in.  The riders would bob back and fourth to make the sled go as fast as possible, this is how the sport got its name.

5. Olympic overview  Germans and Swiss historically produced the world’s best bobsledders.  Combining to win 19 out of the last 34 gold medals.  United States has not medaled in bobsledding since 1956.  Bogdan Musiol won seven medals one gold five silver and one bronze.  Bogdan Musiol Bobsledded for The United States in 1956

6. Origin of event  The origin of bobsledding is uncertain.  Some say it came from the Algonquin Indians who found an easier way to carry loads in the snow in sleds.  One story said that bobsledding began in the 1880s in Albany N.Y.  Europeans claimed that it started in Switzerland where the first toboggan race was held in 1883.  Toboggan racing is like bobsledding only in the old times when they did not have bobsleds.

7. Bobruns  There are only 16 Bobruns in the world.  Bobruns are the tracks in which bobsledding is played.  The longest bobrun was 5,781 feet.  The first United States bobrun was built in Lake Placid in the 1932 winter Olympics.  The walls of the bobrun are made of concrete covered by ice snow and large ice blocks.

8. How to become a bobsled racer  To ride a bobsled you need a license.  To get one you have to pass a physical examination.  Then expert drivers teach them.  If they pass the driving test the are granted their license.

9. Who will compete in bobsled races?  In 2002 women started to become familiar and accepted into the game.  Men have been competing in these races since 1932.  Bobsledding is a public sport.

10. Fastest times  Men:  4 man  Christoph Langen from Germany- 2min.39 sec. (1998)  Andre Lange from Germany- 3min.7sec. (2002)  Wolfgang Hoppe from East Germany- 3min. 20sec. (1984)  2 man  Christoph Langen from Germany- 3min 10sec (2002)  Wolfgang Hoppe from East Germany- 3min. 25sec. (1984)  Weder Acklin from Switzerland- 3min. 30sec. (1994)  Women:  2 women  Jill Bakken from U.S.- 1min. 37sec. (2002)

11. Bobsled  Bodies of bobsled are often made of graphite or other lightweight materials.  Body of the sled helps protect the riders and the steering mechanism.  Streamlined designs help cut down wind resistance making faster speed possible.

12. Gear  Tight body suits  Hard plastic helmets  Goggles  Reinforced gloves  Spiked shoes

13. Conclusion  If you ever are interested in racing a bobsled you can try out for the Olympics or just get a license and buy a bobsled. Off you go.