Winter Olympics 2010 Guide: Bobsleigh
It’s the event with the most exciting start but who will be the bob to beat in Vancouver?
What is it?
The king of the sliding events. One of the most striking moments of any winter games is the thunderous start in the four-man event which is only concluded once the entire quartet have somehow clambered aboard. The start is 50 metres long. After that it is all down to the driver to steer this aerodynamic, fibreglass bob with polished steel runners through a cascade of acute bends. There is a history of 100m sprinters making the move from summer to winter games for a second stab at the Olympics.
Great Britain have a history. You should be sick of hearing about Nash and Dixon’s gold medal in 1964 by the time the first set of heats are over. There are three flavours – two-man, four-man and women’s.
History
All three sliding events – bobsleigh, luge and skeleton – have the same origins. The notion of racing belongs to Britain. It began with tourists in the Alps during the mid-19th century. The four-man bob was a founding event in 1924, the two-man came eight years later but the Ladies arrived only in 2002.
Who to watch
In the four-man event, the United States crew lead by Steve Holcomb (stupidly called ‘Night Train’) is the bob to beat. He also had chance in the two-man event. However Germany’s Andre Lange will not give up his title easily and Latvia took the crown at the Whistler World Cup.
Fact!
American bobsledder Jay O’Brien is the oldest gold medallist the Games has ever had, winning the 1936 two-man event at the age of 48 years and 357 days.
Best Bet
Switzerland’s Ivo Rueegg and Cedric Grand should take the two-man title.
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