What are the differences between luge, skeleton and bobsleigh? Winter Olympics 2022 sports and rules explained

One of the great joys of the Winter Olympics is the manner in which it brings the average sports fan into contact with events and disciplines that might otherwise pass them by.

As the 2022 games get into full swing over in Beijing, viewers are in for a feast of wintry action, but that can also mean a steep learning curve for casual spectators - especially when several events bear more than passing resemblance to one another.

Take, for example, Luge, Skeleton, and Bobsleigh. All three disciplines require daring athletes to hurtle down an icy circuit at phenomenal speeds in various metal contraptions, but what are the real differences that set them apart as separate sports?

We’ve gathered everything you need to know about the events below...

Luge

Starting with Luge, the name of the game is pretty simple.

Athletes are given four runs at a course over a two-day span, and the lowest cumulative time wins.

Competitors lie on their back, feet first, and complete the circuit on a metal sled shaped to match the natural contours of the body. Crucially, each sled must weigh no more than 27kg, and is not fitted with breaks.

Riders can reach top speeds of around 90mph, and must steer using only their body weight.

The luge track at Beijing 2022 is 1,365 metres in length for the men’s singles competition, while the women’s singles and men’s doubles is reduced to 1,065 metres.

Skeleton

Very much the sister sport of Luge, Skeleton is incredibly similar, but requires competitors to complete the circuit while lying on their sled face down, head first.

In terms of competition structure and rules, both events follow the same format, but Skeleton sleds are slightly heavier and more minimalistic, while weight restrictions on athletes are higher too.

Despite the fact that competitors reach slightly lower top speeds of around 87mph, Skeleton is still regarded by many to be the most dangerous and frightening of the three sliding sports, largely on account of the head first position taken up by riders.

Bobsleigh

In comparison to Luge and Skeleton, Bobsleigh is the outlier of the three sliding sports.

Often compared to motor racing on ice, it requires teams of two or four competitors to pilot a meticulously engineered sled with, what is essentially, a cockpit.

As with the other two sports, a quick, powerful start and maximum aerodynamics are the key to a good run, but unlike Skeleton and Luge, Bobsleigh competitors can reach speeds of around 100mph.

Arguably the safest of the sliding events given the self-contained nature of the sleds, there is still a certain amount of risk attached because of the high speed and added weight of the vehicles.

And just as a pleasing footnote for fans of cult 1993 comedy Cool Runnings, Jamaica will be competing in Beijing after their men’s quartet qualified for the games.

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