Winter Olympics guide - Skeleton bobsleigh

If you think skeleton looks easy, try hurtling headfirst down an ice track at 85mph, on a piece of metal half the length of your body.

The event has reaped dividends for Team GB with Amy Williams winning gold at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Canada.

The skeleton is all about a big push at the start and tactical steering after that as the slider is taken on a bone-jangling journey down the icy course.

The race is over the same course as the bobsleigh and luge, but there is no team event. In skeleton, you are on your own.

Once on the course, the athlete steers the skeleton by gently transferring weight to the left or right.

It is important to take as direct a line as possible, avoid contact with the walls and reduce wind resistance by keeping elbows in and shoulders in contact with the sled.

After the finish, the feet are dragged along the ice to bring the skeleton to a standstill.

The Olympic competition consists of two runs, both held on the same day.

The start order for the first run is based on a random draw the day before competition, and only the top 20 men and top 12 women after the first qualify for the second run.

For the final run, the slider with the best time goes last, and the one with the best combined time from the two runs wins.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version