Новостное обозрение зимних спортивных игр в мире Голосов: 0 Адрес блога: http://winter-game.com/ Добавлен: 2011-11-28 22:08:44

Bobsleigh

Bobsleigh racing started in 1881. Today 31 countries participate. It is a highly technical and physically demanding sport. Pushing the steel and fibreglass sled (the 2-man sled weighs 210 kg and the 4-man, 390 kg, without crew) from a dead start takes great strength, speed and timing. The driver's skill in maneuvering 16 curves over the 1500 m course while taking the "fastest line" can mean the difference between winning and losing. Speeds can reach up to 150 km/hr, and the crew experiences up to 5 G's of gravitational force. The Canadian Amateur Bobsleigh and Luge Association was formed in 1957 and the first Canadian team entered international competition in 1959.

In 1962, a 4-man team led by Lamont Gordon won the Commonwealth bobsleigh championship. The EMERY brothers, Victor and John, who had formed the Laurentian Bobsledding Association in 1957, began racing in world competition in 1959. By 1964, with Douglas Anakin and Peter Kirby, they had gained the experience necessary to challenge the world's best at the Olympic Games at Innsbruck, Austria. Despite few opportunities to practise, they set a record time in their first run and won the gold medal.

The Canadian team, again led by Vic Emery, retained its title at the 1965 world championships. Canadian sledders, led by Greg Haydenluck and Chris Lori, returned to international competitiveness in the late 1980s.