 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2023) |
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| Highest governing body | International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | Bobsled, Bob, King's Class |
| First played | 1870s |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | None |
| Team members | Singles or teams of 2 or 4 |
| Mixed-sex | Yes, but usually in separate competitions |
| Type | Winter sport, time trial |
| Equipment | High-tech sleigh, helmet |
| Venue | Bobsleigh tracks |
| Presence | |
| Olympic | since 1924 |
Bobsleigh or bobsled is a winter sport in which teams of 2 to 4 athletes make timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sleigh. International bobsleigh competitions are governed by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (formerly the FIBT).
The first bobsleds were built in the late 19th century in St. Moritz, Switzerland, by wealthy tourists from Victorian Britain who were staying at the Palace Hotel owned by Caspar Badrutt. The early sleds were adapted from boys' delivery sleds and toboggans. These eventually evolved into bobsleighs, luges and skeletons. Initially the tourists would race their hand-built contraptions down the narrow streets of St. Moritz; however, as collisions increased, growing opposition from St. Moritz residents led to bobsledding being eventually banned from public highways. In the winter of 1884, Badrutt had a purpose-built run constructed near the hamlet of Cresta. The Cresta Run remains the oldest in the world and is the home of the St. Moritz Tobogganing Club. It has hosted two Olympic Winter Games and as of 2022 was still in use.[citation needed]
Modern bobsleigh teams compete to complete a downhill route in the fastest times. An aggregate time from several runs is used to determine the winners. The four-man event has been featured since the first Winter Games in 1924 in Chamonix, France. The only exception was the 1960 games in Squaw Valley (now known as Olympic Valley), California, United States, when the organizing committee decided not to build a track to reduce costs. The two-man event was introduced at the 1932 games and a two-woman event was first contested at the 2002 Winter Olympics. The women's monobob event was introduced in the 2022 games.[citation needed]