tag:theconversation.com,2011:/global/topics/bobsleigh-8711/articlesBobsleigh – The Conversation2022-02-15T18:48:39Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1765462022-02-15T18:48:39Z2022-02-15T18:48:39ZI helped introduce silver medallist Jaclyn Narracott to the fearsome 130kph skeleton event. Here’s how it’s done<p>Australian Jaclyn Narracott admits it took a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-13/jaclyn-narracott-winter-olympics-medal-destination/100826556">significant change of mindset</a> to help her claim silver at the Beijing Winter Olympics in the women’s skeleton – the bobsled event in which competitors hurl themselves down a curving track at speeds of 130 kilometres per hour, with mere centimetres between their chin and the ice.</p>
<p>I was part of the coaching team that introduced her to this event more than a decade ago, in March 2011 at Lake Placid, New York, the venue for the 1980 Winter Olympics. I was the sport scientist and program manager of the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia’s Skeleton Program, along with my colleagues from the Australian Bobsleigh Skeleton Association (now <a href="https://www.bobsleighskeleton.org.au">Bobsleigh Skeleton Australia</a>). </p>
<p>These days, Jacklyn splits her training time between sunny Queensland, at the Queensland Academy of Sport, and training with her partner in the UK during the off-season. On-ice training happens either during the northern summer in an “ice push house” – an indoor facility that lets athletes practise the start component of the event – or during the northern winter at one of just 15 tracks worldwide.</p>
<p>So what does it take to produce a medal-winning performance? And, perhaps more intriguingly, how does someone even begin to learn this fearsome sport?</p>
<h2>What is skeleton?</h2>
<p>Skeleton racers ride along a banked, ice-covered track, lying face-down on a single-piece sled with no suspension, no steering and no brakes. It’s a bumpier ride than it looks – ice isn’t smooth when you’re travelling faster than a car on a freeway!</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-high-speed-physics-of-how-bobsled-luge-and-skeleton-send-humans-hurtling-faster-than-a-car-on-the-highway-175985">The high-speed physics of how bobsled, luge and skeleton send humans hurtling faster than a car on the highway</a>
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<p>Unlike the related events of bobsleigh, in which athletes sit inside a sled with steering cables attached to the front runners, and luge, in which competitors lie on their backs and use their legs to activate steering paddles, a skeleton sled is steered mainly by applying pressure via the knee or shoulder, or by subtly shifting the head or body position.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_aSpFCjJvZg?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Beginners’ guide to skeleton.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>How do you win?</h2>
<p>Olympic skeleton athletes make four runs down the track, which is typically 1.2km long and features about 20 corners, with the fastest cumulative time taking the gold. </p>
<p>The overall speed depends on three things: the momentum generated during the short running start; the kinetic energy supplied by gravity as athletes descend along the course and by centrifugal force as they round the corners; and how effectively competitors can conserve energy by taking the most efficient line through the corners.</p>
<p>In general, athletes prefer to steer using their knee, shoulder or both. Steering left, for example, would involve pressing the right shoulder or left knee down onto the sled, or both at once for a sharper turn. This flexes and twists the sled, affecting the direction of the runners.</p>
<p>When approaching a corner, both the entry point (either early or late into the corner) and the direction of the sled affect how the centrifugal force of the corner will act on the slider. The athletes seek to anticipate the centrifugal force in the corner, to stick to a natural flowing line so as to carry more speed through the corner exit. Dragging a toe along the ice, while very effective for changing direction, can cost a lot of speed, so generally racers avoid this move where possible. </p>
<p>In straight sections of track, where there is no centrifugal force, steering the sled in the usual way doesn’t work, but a subtle tilt of the head can create an “air dam” that slightly changes the sled’s direction. But you don’t want to break the sled into a power slide skid, as you will lose a lot of momentum.</p>
<p>Finding an aerodynamic position is relatively straightforward: arms and hands by the competitor’s sides or tucked slightly under the top of the thighs; legs together and toes slightly pointed to remain off the ice. The head and chin are not tucked down, but instead held in a neutral position to maintain a clear view down the track. </p>
<p>As athletes develop, they become comfortable in this sliding position despite the alarming proximity of face and ice.</p>
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<img alt="Skeleton competitor at Beijing 2022" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/446442/original/file-20220215-21-5d5btm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/446442/original/file-20220215-21-5d5btm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/446442/original/file-20220215-21-5d5btm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/446442/original/file-20220215-21-5d5btm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/446442/original/file-20220215-21-5d5btm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/446442/original/file-20220215-21-5d5btm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/446442/original/file-20220215-21-5d5btm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">There’s no time to enjoy the view.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Pavel Golovkin/AP</span></span>
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<h2>Ok, but how do you learn?</h2>
<p>An athlete’s approach to skeleton depends on what we sports scientists call their “fear/risk profile”. This is an <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.682059/full">analytical tool</a> that can help any athlete who may need to deal with significant fear or risk in their chosen event. It can boost confidence by allowing athletes to describe and contextualise their previous experiences of a track, with reference to particular weather or ice conditions.</p>
<p>When first learning this discipline, all skeleton sliders will begin from a lower position in the track, and only navigate the final six or so corners. This reduces both the speed and complexity of the run. At Lake Placid a decade ago, Jaclyn began her first ever run from corner 10 and completed four runs that day, before moving up to corner 7 the next day. </p>
<p>This might sound like a very small amount of practice for such a complex sport, but the on-ice vibrations and the g-forces involved are very fatiguing. After training, some athletes can show symptoms <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2018.00772">similar to impact trauma</a> without having suffered any actual impact. </p>
<p>Their coach will then ask them to describe their entrance and exit from each corner, when and where they steered, and what steering technique they used. Using visual and video feedback, the athlete and their coach reviews their performance, thus building their risk profile and improving their speed. </p>
<p>As the athlete improves, they move further up the track to include more corners and greater speeds, until eventually they have mastered the entire course. But an experienced slider like Jaclyn will tackle a new course from the top straight away, as they have the necessary skills and confidence.</p>
<p>To cement their performance and learning, athletes take detailed track notes which they use to perform “mind runs”, either purely by mentally picturing the descent, or while lying on their sled and rehearsing the moves in the correct sequence. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-slippery-science-of-olympic-curling-we-still-dont-know-how-it-works-176463">The slippery science of Olympic curling: we still don't know how it works</a>
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<h2>And finally, how do you stop?</h2>
<p>As mentioned above, a skeleton bobsled has no brakes. Bobsled courses generally have a long uphill ramp beyond the finish line, and competitors can also drag their spiked shoes along the ice or aim to rub off speed by steering into the walls of the track. After crossing the finish timing eye, the finishing straight or “outrun” of a track is usually about 100m long. </p>
<p>Stopping comes with its own risk of injury – athletes have fallen off their sleds, usually bruising nothing more than their ego, but occasionally something may be tweaked or broken. But compared with the challenge of successfully navigating a succession of corners at speeds faster than a car on a freeway, stopping is the relatively easy part.</p>
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<img alt="Skeleton competitor at the end of a run" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/446441/original/file-20220215-15-1ofnsc5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/446441/original/file-20220215-15-1ofnsc5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/446441/original/file-20220215-15-1ofnsc5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/446441/original/file-20220215-15-1ofnsc5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/446441/original/file-20220215-15-1ofnsc5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/446441/original/file-20220215-15-1ofnsc5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/446441/original/file-20220215-15-1ofnsc5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Job done.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Pavel Golovkin/AP</span></span>
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</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/176546/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dale Chapman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>What does it take to deliver a medal-winning performance in skeleton, which involves racing down a banked track faster than a car on a freeway, with your face mere centimetres from the ice?Dale Chapman, Senior Lecturer, Applied Sports Science, Curtin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1759852022-02-04T19:59:53Z2022-02-04T19:59:53ZThe high-speed physics of how bobsled, luge and skeleton send humans hurtling faster than a car on the highway<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/444394/original/file-20220203-19-xcns7h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=419%2C1373%2C2781%2C1718&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Bobsled, luge and skeleton athletes descend twisting, steep tracks at speeds upward of 80 mph (130 kmh).</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/VancouverOlympicsLuge/04f06c3e67b7419fb8c7501593eb84f9/photo?Query=luge%20olympic&mediaType=photo&sortBy=&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=4131&currentItemNo=49">AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Speed alone may be the factor that draws many sports fans to the <a href="https://www.beijing2022.cn/en/olympics_/bobsleigh.htm">bobsled, luge and skeleton events</a> at this year’s Beijing Winter Olympics. But beneath the thrilling descents of the winding, ice-covered track, a myriad of concepts from physics are at play. It is how the athletes react to the physics that ultimately determines the fastest runs from the rest of the pack.</p>
<p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=eHzYy_EAAAAJ">I study the physics of sports</a>. Much of the excitement of a luge run is easy to miss – the athletes’ movements are often too small to notice as they fly by looking like nothing more than a blur on your television. It would be easy to assume that the competitors are simply falling or sliding down a track at the whim of gravity. But that thought merely scratches the surface of all the subtle physics that go into a gold-medal-winning performance.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/444397/original/file-20220203-21-1bpy1ig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="An aerial view of a large twisting covered track." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/444397/original/file-20220203-21-1bpy1ig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/444397/original/file-20220203-21-1bpy1ig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=306&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/444397/original/file-20220203-21-1bpy1ig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=306&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/444397/original/file-20220203-21-1bpy1ig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=306&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/444397/original/file-20220203-21-1bpy1ig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=385&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/444397/original/file-20220203-21-1bpy1ig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=385&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/444397/original/file-20220203-21-1bpy1ig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=385&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Tracks for sliding events – like the Olympic track from the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics – drop hundreds of feet and feature many tight turns.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Sliding_Centre#/media/File:Alpensia_20170202_05_(32619189236).jpg">Korean Culture and Information Service via Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
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<h2>Gravity and energy</h2>
<p>Gravity is what powers the sleds down the ice-covered tracks in bobsled, luge and skeleton events. The big-picture physics is simple – start at some height and then fall to a lower height, letting gravity accelerate athletes to speeds <a href="https://www.si.com/olympics/2018/02/13/how-fast-does-luge-go-speed-velocity">approaching 90 mph</a> (145 kph). </p>
<p>This year’s races are taking place at the <a href="https://www.beijing2022.cn/en/olympics_/bobsleigh.htm">Yanqing National Sliding Center</a>. The track is roughly a mile long (1.6 km), drops 397 feet of elevation (121 meters) – with the steepest section being an incredible 18% grade – and <a href="https://www.ibsf.org/en/tracks/track/700012/Yanqing">comprises 16 curves</a>.</p>
<p>Riders in the sledding events reach their fast speeds because of the conversion of gravitational potential energy into kinetic energy. Gravitational potential energy represents stored energy and increases as an object is raised farther from Earth’s surface. The potential energy is converted to another form of energy once the object starts falling. Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. The reason a flying baseball will shatter the glass if it hits a window is that the ball transfers its kinetic energy to the glass. Both gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy increase as weight increases, meaning there is more energy in a four-person bobsled team than there is in a one-person luge or skeleton for a given speed.</p>
<p>Racers are dealing with a lot of kinetic energy and strong forces. When athletes enter a turn at 80 mph (129 kph) they experience accelerations that can reach <a href="https://www.technogym.com/us/newsroom/luge-courage-and-high-speeds/">five times that of normal gravitational acceleration</a>. Though bobsled, luge and skeleton may look easy, in reality they are anything but.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/444403/original/file-20220203-15-16gh0zf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A luge racer lying on his back in an aerodynamic pose." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/444403/original/file-20220203-15-16gh0zf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/444403/original/file-20220203-15-16gh0zf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=460&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/444403/original/file-20220203-15-16gh0zf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=460&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/444403/original/file-20220203-15-16gh0zf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=460&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/444403/original/file-20220203-15-16gh0zf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=578&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/444403/original/file-20220203-15-16gh0zf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=578&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/444403/original/file-20220203-15-16gh0zf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=578&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Racers need to be as aerodynamic as possible to minimize drag and go faster.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/VancouverOlympicsLuge/7ae2fa592a92471387554d0f45f29ccf/photo?Query=luge%20olympic&mediaType=photo&sortBy=&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=4131&currentItemNo=97">AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan</a></span>
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<h2>Aerodynamics</h2>
<p>Most tracks are around a mile long (1.6 km), and the athletes cover that distance in just under a minute. Final times are calculated by adding four runs together. The difference between the gold medal and silver medal in the men’s singles luge at the 2018 Winter Olympics <a href="http://www.fil-luge.org/cdn/uploads/lugmsingles-c73b2-1-0.pdf">was just 0.026 seconds</a>. Even tiny mistakes made by the best athletes in the world can cost a medal.</p>
<p>All the athletes start at the same height and go down the same track. So the difference between gold and a disappointing result comes not from gravity and potential energy, but from a fast start, being as aerodynamic as possible and taking the shortest path down the track. </p>
<p>While gravity pulls the athletes and their sleds downhill, they are constantly colliding with air particles that create a force called air drag, which pushes back on the athletes and sleds in a direction opposite to their velocity. The more aerodynamic an athlete or team is, the greater the speed.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/444401/original/file-20220203-15-1b14kwq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A team of bobsled racers going around a corner." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/444401/original/file-20220203-15-1b14kwq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/444401/original/file-20220203-15-1b14kwq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/444401/original/file-20220203-15-1b14kwq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/444401/original/file-20220203-15-1b14kwq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/444401/original/file-20220203-15-1b14kwq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/444401/original/file-20220203-15-1b14kwq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/444401/original/file-20220203-15-1b14kwq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Bobsled teams must tuck themselves behind the leading edge of the sled to avoid the oncoming air.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APTOPIXVancouverOlympicsBobsled/e41cf5b02a8b4a98ba1ad279d1c31190/photo?Query=bobsleigh%20olympic&mediaType=photo&sortBy=&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=5034&currentItemNo=4">AP Photo/Andrew Medichini</a></span>
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<p>To minimize drag from the air, luge riders – who are face up – lie as flat as possible. Downward-facing skeleton riders do the same. Whether in a team of two or four, bobsled riders stay tucked tightly inside the sled to reduce the area available for air to smash into. Any body positioning mistakes can make athletes less aerodynamic and lead to tiny increases in time that can cost them a medal. And these mistakes are tough to correct at the high accelerations and forces of a run.</p>
<h2>The shortest way down</h2>
<p>Besides being as aerodynamic as possible, the other major difference between a fast and a slow run is the path riders take. If they minimize the total length taken by their sleds and avoid zigzagging across the track, riders will cover less distance. In addition to simply not having to go as far to cross the finish line, shortening the path means facing less drag from air and losing less speed from friction with the track.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/444400/original/file-20220203-27-9hvavp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A skeleton racer running with his sled at the start of a race." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/444400/original/file-20220203-27-9hvavp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/444400/original/file-20220203-27-9hvavp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/444400/original/file-20220203-27-9hvavp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/444400/original/file-20220203-27-9hvavp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/444400/original/file-20220203-27-9hvavp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/444400/original/file-20220203-27-9hvavp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/444400/original/file-20220203-27-9hvavp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Skeleton racers don’t have a means of directly controlling the runners, so they must use subtle body movements to flex the sled and initiate turns.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nozomi_Komuro_start_LP_World_Cup_2017_(1_of_1).jpg#/media/File:Nozomi_Komuro_start_LP_World_Cup_2017_(1_of_1).jpg">121a0012 via Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Fans often miss the subtleties involved in turning and steering. The sleds for all the events sit on <a href="http://www.teamusa.org/%7E/media/USA_Luge/Documents/IRO_2014_AT_English.pdf">steel blades called runners</a>. Bobsleds have two sets of runners that make contact with the ice. The front rider pulls on <a href="https://www.rulesofsport.com/sports/bobsleighing.html">rings attached to pulleys that turn the front runners</a>. Runners on luge sleds have curved bows at the front where riders place their calves. By moving their head and shoulders or flexing their calves, athletes can turn the luge. Skeleton riders lack these controls and must <a href="http://www.ibsf.org/images/documents/downloads/2015_International_Rules_SKELETON.pdf">flex the sled</a> itself using their shoulders and knee to initiate a turn. Even a tiny head movement can cause the skeleton to move off the optimal path.</p>
<p>All of these subtle movements are hard to see on television, but the consequences can be large – oversteering may lead to collisions with the track wall or even crashes. Improper steering may lead to bad turns that cost riders time.</p>
<p>Though it may appear that the riders simply slide down the icy track at great speeds after they get going, there is a lot more going on. Viewers will have to pay close attention to the athletes on those fast-moving sleds to detect the interesting facets of physics in action.</p>
<p>[<em>Get fascinating science, health and technology news.</em> <a href="https://memberservices.theconversation.com/newsletters/?nl=science&source=inline-science-fascinating">Sign up for The Conversation’s weekly science newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/175985/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Eric Goff does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It may look like athletes in bobsled, luge and skeleton simply grab a sled and hang on until the bottom, but high-speed physics and tiny motions mean the difference between gold and a crash.John Eric Goff, Professor of Physics, University of LynchburgLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/227432014-02-16T19:11:43Z2014-02-16T19:11:43ZSwitching sports: Jana Pittman’s psychological hurdles<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41443/original/wbchccwn-1392263932.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Jana Pittman, an accomplished summer Olympian, will compete in the bobsleigh event this week in Sochi.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP/Dean Lewins</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Jana Pittman has always been fast on the athletics track, but now she has the opportunity to display not only her speed, but her strength and versatility, when she becomes “the muscle at the back” of a 130kg bobsled in Sochi this week. </p>
<p>Despite looking very much at home in her speed suit, the Australian public would most likely best remember Jana as being a track and field athlete rather than a bobsledder – a transition that not only requires physical power, but psychological strength too.</p>
<p>Jana competed for Australia in the 400m hurdles at the Sydney and Athens Olympic Games in 2000 and 2004 respectively. Many may also remember the emotional rollercoaster that Jana rode coming into the Athens Games after she suffered a knee injury late in her preparation. </p>
<p>This required her to have surgery a week prior to the start of competition, before she was finally being cleared to race. Jana then demonstrated her resilience, a <a href="http://www.sxf.uevora.pt/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Fletcher_2012.pdf">common psychological characteristic</a> of successful athletes, by going forward to achieve her best Olympic result, finishing fifth in the final. </p>
<p>This week, however, the 31-year-old will swap the track for the ice to make sporting history when she represents Australia as a brakewoman in the Women’s Bobsleigh event at the Sanki Sliding Centre. Her race will mark the first time an Australian female athlete has competed at both a Summer and Winter Olympic Games. </p>
<h2>Jana’s achievements</h2>
<p>Before being named in her first Winter Olympics team, Jana already had a long list of career successes to her name. </p>
<p>Many people may not know that, in 2003, Jana became the youngest 400m hurdler in history to win a World Championship, or that she is one of just a handful of elite athletes, including the great Usain Bolt, to have won a World Championship at all levels of her career, including youth, junior and senior events. </p>
<p>More recently, Jana placed seventh in her very first bobsleigh race alongside experienced driver Astrid Radjenovic at the 2012 World Cup in Attenberg, Germany. This remains the best result ever by any Australian crew in the sport to date! </p>
<p>However, even though Jana has achieved more in her young life in the sporting arena than many of us could ever hope to, the negative press she attracted post-Athens in 2004 seemed to cast a shadow over this talented athlete, one which has taken quite some time to lift. </p>
<p>Jana’s psychological resilience was once again tested as she dealt publicly with adversity both <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/she-poisoned-our-team-pittman-accuses-rival/2006/02/07/1139074229545.html">related</a> and <a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/jana-pittman-on-track-for-second-divorce-from-chris-rawlinson/story-e6frf7jo-1226039930008">unrelated to sport</a> over the course of a number of years. </p>
<p>However, Jana’s steely determination and inner motivation has seen her bounce back every time. While many others would have been satisfied with fulfilling their dream of being selected in one Olympic team, Jana has been able to regroup, reset her goals and successfully transition from one sport to another. She has then gone on to be successful in securing her third Olympic berth – a truly impressive achievement. </p>
<h2>Jana’s transition</h2>
<p>The transition process, whether it is a transition out of sport (retirement), within a sport (from junior to senior level), or between sports, can be a confusing time for an elite athlete. </p>
<p>In a huge blow, Jana missed both the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympic Games due to a recurrent foot injury, which ultimately led to her retirement from hurdling in 2012. She has been reported as saying that the fear of retiring from elite sport was one of the <a href="http://www.news.com.au/sport/more-sports/jana-pittman-switches-from-athletics-to-bobsleigh-for-a-shot-of-representing-australian-at-the-olympics/story-fndukor0-1226552648389">key drivers</a> for her transition to bobsleigh. </p>
<p>Athlete career transition has been a common topic in the media over the past few years, with many high-profile athletes acknowledging the social and psychological difficulties that they have faced post-retirement from elite sport – the most recent, of course, being Ian Thorpe and his struggles with <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/sport/ian-thorpe-in-rehab-battling-alcohol-abuse-and-depression-20140131-31q45.html">depression and alcohol abuse</a>. </p>
<p>This topic has also attracted <a href="http://www.sxf.uevora.pt/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Fletcher_2012.pdf">considerable attention</a> among sport psychology researchers. One thing that is evident from anecdotal and scientific reports is that career transition can lead to athletes experiencing adjustment difficulties as they attempt to re-evaluate many different areas of life. </p>
<p>Further to this, involuntary retirement – that is, retirement which does not occur by choice or is outside of the control of the athletes (such was the case with Jana sustaining a career-ending injury) – has been found to place athletes at <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10413200.2013.798371">further risk</a> of such issues. </p>
<h2>Getting the balance right</h2>
<p>Despite such risk, Jana has been fortunate in that her transition to retirement turned into a successful transition to a sport which has presented her with new opportunities. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41439/original/w6dqb9bk-1392263256.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41439/original/w6dqb9bk-1392263256.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41439/original/w6dqb9bk-1392263256.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=732&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41439/original/w6dqb9bk-1392263256.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=732&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41439/original/w6dqb9bk-1392263256.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=732&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41439/original/w6dqb9bk-1392263256.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=919&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41439/original/w6dqb9bk-1392263256.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=919&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/41439/original/w6dqb9bk-1392263256.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=919&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Jana celebrates winning the 400m hurdles at the World Athletics Championships 2007 in Osaka.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Osaka07_D6A_Jana_Rawlinson_celebrating.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There are certain factors which have been shown to assist athletes to experience a smoother transition. These include, but are not limited to, having a clear post-sport career plan, quality social support and a good balance between sport life and personal life. </p>
<p>In line with this, it would appear that Jana’s world outside of sport has undergone a large amount of change since the last time we saw her on the Olympic stage. Jana now studies medicine full time, with the goal of being an obstetrician, along with juggling her busy Olympic training schedule and being a single mum to her son Cornelius. </p>
<p>Such changes would have certainly shifted Jana’s priorities and, subsequently, her sport-life balance. That is, she would now not only identify herself as being an athlete, but also as being a mum and a student, among other life roles. </p>
<p>As for social support, Jana has credited her parents for providing her with the love, support and assistance that has allowed her to maintain this balance and to continue to strive for sporting success. </p>
<p>Even though her road has not been an easy one, these factors, as well as Jana’s self-belief and psychological resilience, have helped her to both excel in, and endure, the elite sport environment for well over a decade. This is definitely no easy feat.</p>
<p>Best of luck to Jana and all the Australian competitors who are competing in Sochi as they strive for their piece of Olympic glory!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/22743/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lisa Martin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Jana Pittman has always been fast on the athletics track, but now she has the opportunity to display not only her speed, but her strength and versatility, when she becomes “the muscle at the back” of a…Lisa Martin, Lecturer in Sport Psychology, University of the Sunshine CoastLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/227412014-02-16T19:11:42Z2014-02-16T19:11:42ZJana Pittman’s leap from the track to the bobsleigh<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40970/original/f7tdqywb-1391733326.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Jana Pittman will be Australia's first female athlete to compete in both Summer and Winter Olympics.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dave Hunt/AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Reaching the Olympic Games is undoubtedly the highlight of any athletic career, but this year will be the first time a female Australian athlete has participated in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.</p>
<p>That athlete is <a href="http://www.janapittman.com/home/about/">Jana Pittman</a> who joins her teammate <a href="http://sochi2014.olympics.com.au/athlete/astrid-radjenovic-loch-wilkinson">Astrid Radjenovic</a> in the sport of bobsleigh at <a href="http://www.sochi2014.com/en">Sochi</a> this year. So how do the physical talents of a track star translate to a bobsleigh?</p>
<p>In December 2012 Jana Pittman joined the <a href="https://sochi2014.olympics.com.au/sports/bobsleigh">Australian women’s bobsleigh crew</a>, which then took seventh place in a field of 13 sleds in early January 2013 – the best ever result by any Australian crew. The women have produced consistent results in the 2013/14 season, their best result being a 12th place at the 2014 World Cup in St Moritz, Switzerland.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sochi2014.com/en/bobsleigh-about">Bobsleigh</a> is one of the highest profile sports at the Winter Olympic Games and is known as the “<a href="http://sochi2014.olympics.com.au/sports/bobsleigh">Formula One race on ice</a>”. It was one of the original Winter Olympic sports, with women’s bobsleigh being added to the Olympic program at <a href="http://www.olympic.org/salt-lake-city-2002-winter-olympics">Salt Lake City</a> in 2002.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40963/original/prwm3qs3-1391732238.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40963/original/prwm3qs3-1391732238.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40963/original/prwm3qs3-1391732238.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40963/original/prwm3qs3-1391732238.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40963/original/prwm3qs3-1391732238.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40963/original/prwm3qs3-1391732238.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40963/original/prwm3qs3-1391732238.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Australia first competed in Bobsleigh at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dean Lewins/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Athletes sprint down the icy track on foot and push their sled at speeds of about 40km/h before jumping in. Once the crew is loaded, the pilot steers the sled through twisting, high-speed turns and straightaways where top speeds can reach more than 130km/h. </p>
<h2>Hurdling down the bobsleigh track</h2>
<p>Both Jana and Astrid have had long and successful careers as 400m hurdlers, an event that requires extraordinary speed, strength and endurance. As the key to bobsleigh is an explosive start, the experience and physical speed and strength of track athletes provides the ideal match. </p>
<p>As Jana’s role in the bobsleigh is as the <em>anchor</em>, she provides the pure power and speed to get the team off to a good start. Astrid, as the <em>pilot</em> of the bobsleigh must also have speed and power, at a minimum to keep up with the anchor during the start.</p>
<p>As a world-class hurdler however, Jana brings with her an additional skill that a flat track sprinter cannot provide – flexibility to leap. </p>
<p>When competing in bobsleigh, both athletes not only have to run as fast as they can to push the bobsleigh forward onto the track, they also have to leap into the bobsleigh itself. </p>
<p>According to <a href="http://www.sandyaths.com.au/coaches.html">Lisa Hasker</a>, an elite hurdling and sprint coach, the action of the run and leap within the sport of bobsleigh is very similar to the action needed for hurdles. </p>
<p>The athlete, and particularly the anchor, needs to be flexible enough to leap quickly into the bobsleigh after sprinting, maintain a cramped position in a crouch within the bobsleigh and be strong enough to pull the brake at the end to avoid crashing into the wall after the finish line.</p>
<p>Jana’s training would not be significantly different to her training as an elite hurdler, however the most significant would be a greater focus on short bursts of effort and power training. Jana’s Summer Olympic events (400m run and 400m hurdles) are substantially longer and require more endurance than the 10-15m sprint to start the bobsleigh race.</p>
<h2>Talent transfer</h2>
<p>Jana is one of many female athletes in the Australian Winter Olympic team who have joined their Winter Olympic sport through talent transfer. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.ausport.gov.au/sportscoachmag/development_and_maturation2/talent_transfer">Talent transfer</a>, according to the <a href="http://www.ausport.gov.au/">Australian Sports Commission</a>, involves considerable planning and research:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Talent transfer begins with a coach understanding the athlete’s positive and negative characteristics and prospects, followed by deliberate fast-track development programming. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Talent transfer primarily occurs informally, generally through an athlete seeking out opportunities for themselves to try an alternative sport. </p>
<p>In this case, both hurdling and bobsleigh require inherent running speed, power and flexibility; the technical components of the new sport can be learnt.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H_sbO9gVUXs?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Jana Pittman discusses the Sochi Games.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A significant amount of effort and support was required by the women’s bobsleigh team to qualify for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Olympic qualification requires success in a number of qualifying events. </p>
<p>The women’s bobsleigh team (the <a href="http://www.icebirds.com.au/about-us/">Icebirds</a>) relied heavily on the support of sponsors, and during their qualification campaign in 2013, used <a href="https://www.sportaroo.com/campaigns/50e37311d109280002000002">crowdfunding</a> and social media promotion to raise the funds to support their Olympic qualification events. </p>
<p>With the women’s bobsleigh heats starting on February 18, we will be witnessing an extraordinary woman achieving extraordinary feats of human strength and endurance in her leap from Summer to Winter Olympics.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/22741/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emma Sherry does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Reaching the Olympic Games is undoubtedly the highlight of any athletic career, but this year will be the first time a female Australian athlete has participated in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games…Emma Sherry, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Sport and Social Impact, La Trobe UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/221412014-02-05T14:45:27Z2014-02-05T14:45:27ZWhy would British athletes choose winter sports?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/39931/original/y22yh5jn-1390847535.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">This old thing? Just found it lying around in the shed.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Andrew Milligan/PA</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The British terrain and climate are not really designed for winter sports – there are few mountains suitable for skiing and our winters simply aren’t cold enough. Yet Team GB will be taking a <a href="http://www.teamgb.com/news/cautious-hay-looks-sochi-feeling-optimistic-and-confident">56-strong squad</a> to the winter Olympics in Sochi. So how do athletes from a green and pleasant land come to be involved in winter sports on snow and ice?</p>
<p>Paths into winter sports are varied and often quite different to the more conventional routes seen in summer Olympic sports. There is also a large variation between winter sports – bobsleigh, skiing, ice skating and snowboard athletes, for example, will all have come to their sport in different ways.</p>
<p>The majority of athletes have a background of junior participation, often having made their entry into the sport at a young age, but in some Winter Olympic sports this is not the case. It is very common for athletes in these sports to start late, having begun their sporting career elsewhere. </p>
<p>Take bobsleigh and skeleton for example: these are sports that you can only start as an adult – you just can’t do them as a child. This makes career paths into these sports very different. Olympic silver medallist Shelly Rudman didn’t try skeleton until the age of 21, which is very late compared to athletes from other Olympic sports. This contradicts some <a href="http://www.open.edu/openlearn/body-mind/health/sport-and-fitness/working-young-people-sport-and-exercise/content-section-11.2">models of athletic development</a>, which suggest that investment in a sport as a junior is a requirement for success. </p>
<p>Many athletes transfer from other sports and many are “spotted” as potential winter sport athletes through so called “talent transfer programmes”, such as UK Sport’s <a href="http://www.uksport.gov.uk/pages/girls4gold/">Girls 4 Gold</a> programme which started in 2008. Skeleton athlete and potential 2014 Olympic medallist Lizzy Yarnold is a graduate from the Girls 4 Gold programme, having transferred into the sport from athletics. </p>
<h2>The slide from athletics</h2>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40029/original/ddx7p6fn-1390924052.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40029/original/ddx7p6fn-1390924052.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=889&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40029/original/ddx7p6fn-1390924052.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=889&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40029/original/ddx7p6fn-1390924052.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=889&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40029/original/ddx7p6fn-1390924052.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1117&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40029/original/ddx7p6fn-1390924052.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1117&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/40029/original/ddx7p6fn-1390924052.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1117&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Craig Pickering in a previous, less icy, life.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">David Davies/PA</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Transition from athletics seems to be a common route into sliding sports: bobsleigh, skeleton and luge. Olympic skeleton medallists Shelly Rudman (silver in 2006) and Amy Williams (gold in 2010) both had a background in athletics before switching to skeleton. The speed and power elements of athletics transfer well into the push start required in both skeleton and bobsleigh. </p>
<p>Bobsleigh has a long established tradition of recruiting high calibre track and field athletes into its fold. Current GB squad members Craig Pickering and Joel Fearon are both sprinters who have represented Great Britain, with Pickering achieving medals at World and European level. On his transition into bobsleigh Craig Pickering <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/winter-sports/20612007">said</a>, “I’ve been in athletics for so long I started to feel a bit jaded. This is a new challenge I’m really excited by.”</p>
<p>The transition from athletics to bobsleigh is not exclusive to the UK. For example, 100m Olympic medallist Lauryn Williams and world 60m hurdles champion Lolo Jones will be representing the USA in the sport in Sochi.</p>
<h2>Live near a ski slope</h2>
<p>Paths into winter sports are often dictated by opportunity. Facilities for winter sports participation are few and far between and so location plays an important part. If you live near an ice rink you are more likely to become involved in speed skating or figure skating. </p>
<p>Kate Summerhayes, who will be representing Team GB in freestyle skiing in Sochi, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/snowandski/features/ski-interviews/10516640/Katie-Summerhayes-interview-2014-Winter-Olympics.html">learned to ski</a> when she was six at the Sheffield Ski Village, which was only ten minutes away from her home. There are certainly geographic patterns in team membership – for example the GB curling and Nordic skiing teams are dominated by Scottish athletes. Is this connected to there being better facilities and infrastructure for these sports in Scotland? A lack of winter sport facilities in the UK could certainly be hindering our prospects and the types of facilities available may limit the range of our participation. </p>
<p>Interestingly, Team GB normally only enter athletes into the short track speed skating event and not the long track events. This could be a consequence of limited long track speed skating facilities.</p>
<h2>Money and role models</h2>
<p>Finance is also strongly related to opportunity – participation in winter sports often requires overseas travel and expensive equipment. At the upper ends lottery funding and sponsorship is available, but the financial aspects may prevent potential athletes starting a winter sport. Learning to ski as a child, for example, is a privilege largely reserved for children whose parents have the income to afford skiing holidays.</p>
<p>Finally, one of the most important factors influencing why an athlete might move into a winter sport is role models. Medals won in the past three Winter Olympics in skeleton have certainly boosted the profile of the sport and may encourage more athletes to consider taking it up. </p>
<p>Any British athletes gaining medal honours in Sochi will certainly be ambassadors for winter sports and have the potential to inspire a generation to take to the slopes, ice rink or track.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/22141/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Caroline Heaney does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The British terrain and climate are not really designed for winter sports – there are few mountains suitable for skiing and our winters simply aren’t cold enough. Yet Team GB will be taking a 56-strong…Caroline Heaney, Senior Lecturer in Sport and Fitness, The Open UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.