"The sport made its Olympic debut in 1924 and Germany didn't win its first gold medals until 1952. But the country, including the days of both East Germany and West Germany, has dominated like no other, with 22 gold medals since 1952 and rest of the world combining for 21 golds in that span. How does it work? There are four types of bobsled races: two-man, four-man, two-woman and monobob, which has just one female pilot in the sled and nobody else."
"All sleds have one driver, and the person in the back of the sled is considered the brakeman; his or her role is exactly as it sounds, to pull the brakes once the sled has crossed the finish line. Races start with everyone running either alongside or behind the sled, down a ramp before they jump into the sled. For aerodynamic reasons, everyone's head should stay down during a race (except the driver, of course). Speeds can reach 90 mph."
Bobsled entered the Olympics in 1924 and Germany did not win its first gold medals until 1952. Germany, including East and West Germany eras, has since amassed 22 Olympic golds while other nations combined have 21. Bobsled events include two-man, four-man, two-woman and monobob, with each sled led by a driver and a brakeman at the rear. Races begin with athletes pushing or running alongside the sled down a ramp before boarding, and competitors keep their heads down for aerodynamics as speeds approach 90 mph. Top contenders include Francesco Friedrich, Johannes Lochner, Frank Del Duca, Kaysha Love, Kaillie Humphries Armbruster and Elana Meyers Taylor. Competition runs Feb. 15-22 at Cortina.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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