Lake Placid bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track

The Lake Placid bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track is a venue for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton located in Lake Placid, New York. This venue was used for the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics and for the only winter Goodwill Games in 2000. The third and most recent version of the track was completed in 2000 with the track hosting both the first FIBT World Championships and FIL World Luge Championships done outside of Europe, doing so in 1949 [http://sports123.com/bob/mw-2.html Bobsleigh two-man world championship medalists since 1931] ] and 1983. [http://sports123.com/lug/mw-s.html FIL World Luge Championships men's single results since 1955] ]

History

Prior to the 1932 Winter Olympics, bobsleigh racing took place at the steep hill where the Intervales ski jump would eventually be located. [http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1932/1932w.pdf 1932 Winter Olympic Games official report.] pp. 30, 39-41, 50-1, 157-66.] The attendees were delighted by the speeds of the bobsleds though several teams crashed during the run, sending two members of one team to the hospital as a result. The Intervales track only lasted one season (1929-30). Led by Henry Homburger, the first track was surveyed and constructed during 1929-30 at Mount Van Hoevenberg, located in the Whiteface Mountain area though it was in spite of protests of using state-owned lands for construction of the facility for environmental reasons. After construction took place during August-December 1930, the track opened for use on Christmas Day 1930. This track was 2366 meters long with 26 curves, a vertical drop of 228 meters, and an average grade of 9.6%. After the 1932 games, the first 829 meters and ten curves of the track were eliminated, shortening the track's length to 1537 meters with 16 curves, and an average grade of 9.3%. [http://www.bunksplace.com/hot%20runnings.html Bunksplace.com information on bobsleigh history: 1890-present.] - Accessed January 15, 2008.] In 1949, the track became the first venue outside of Europe to host the FIBT World Championships though it would start with tragic results when Belgian bobsledder Max Houben was killed during a practice run off of "Shady" curve prior to the event. [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,853670-1,00.html "TIME" magazine March 7, 1949 article about the Lake Placid, NY bobsleigh track that took Houbon's life] - Accessed July 29, 2007.] The Belgian team withdrew as a result. It would be another twelve years before the track hosted another world championship following safety improvements to the track. By this time, track officials had established a relationship with the International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation (FIBT). [http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1980/orw1980v1.pdf 1980 Winter Olympic Games official report - Volume 1.] pp. 57-66. en icon & fr icon] Sergio Zardini's fatal crash at the "Zig-Zag curves" in February 1966 would lead to further safety improvements. [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,835216,00.html "The Deadly Zig-Zag". "TIME". March 4, 1966] - Accessed August 12, 2007.] Following the world bobsleigh championships of 1969, 1973, and 1978, many race officials of those championships would serve on the organizing committee for the bobsleigh part of the 1980 Winter Olympics. . The 1932 track was demolished in 1978 with actual construction taking place during September 1978-February 1979 with the creation of a reinforced concrete, artificially refrigerated bobsleigh track. The bobsleigh track was approved for competition in December 1979. In fall 1977, a separate luge track for the 1980 Games, the first one in the United States, was constructed with completion in time for the test competition in February 1979. During preparations for the 1980 Games, a combined two-man bobsleigh and luge track was considered, but abandoned to high cost and the track was redesigned with permission from the International Luge Federation (FIL).. Following the 1980 games, both tracks hosted their respective world championships in 1983.. Skeleton racing debutted during the 1990s with the bobsleigh part of the track hosting the world championships in 1997. [http://sports123.com/ske/mw.html FIBT men's skeleton world championships results since 1989] ] By the late 1990s, parts of both tracks were demolished to make way for a new track that was constructed for the 2000 Winter Goodwill Games that was completed in January 2000. [ [http://www.goodwillgames.com/2000/2000_venuesMtVanHoev.html List of venues on Mt. Van Hoevenberg for the 2000 Winter Goodwill Games] - Accessed January 16, 2008.] The track has been part of the Lake Placid Olympic Sports Complex since the end of the 1980 Winter Olympics as part of the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA). [ [http://www.orda.org/newsite/about.php About ORDA.] ] [ [http://www.orda.org/newsite/togo/olympicsportscomplex.php ORDA profile on Lake Placid Olympic Sports Park.] ] Since 2006, it has hosted the Chevy Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge, an annual event which has NASCAR drivers take a run down the track to benefit the Bo-Dyn bobsled (co-created by the former NASCAR driver and 1986 Daytona 500 winner) in use by the United States since the start of the 1994 Winter Olympics. [http://www.bodynbobsled.com/ Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project official website] ] In 2008, the competition took place between NASCAR and the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) though Boris Said (representing NASCAR) won the event for the third straight year. In 2009, the track will become the first to host bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton world championships in the same year in a non-Winter Olympic year (The bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track in Park City, Utah was the first to do so for the 2002 Winter Olympics in neighboring Salt Lake City).

Current track statistics

Previous tracks

The only curves mentioned in the 1932 Winter Olympics official report of the 26 total are shown below:

The bobsleigh track used for the 1980 Winter Olympics consisted of 16 curves that was 1557 meters long with an elevation difference of 148 meters, a maximum grade of 14.0%, and an average grade of 9.5%. [http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1980/orw1980v2.pdf 1980 Winter Olympic Games official report - Volume 2] , pp. 49, 171, 177. en icon, fr icon, & de icon]

The luge track used for the 1980 Winter Olympics had two different settings to the different start houses used during the competition. For the men's singles event, the track consisted of 14 curves that was 1014 meters long with an elevation difference of 95.55 meters, a maximum gradient of 30% and an average grade of 9.35%. In the women's singles and men's doubles event, the track consisted of 11 curves that was 749 meters long with an elevation difference of 59 meters, a maximum grade of 30%, and an average grade of 9.35%.

Championships hosted

* Winter Olympics: 1932, 1980
* FIBT World Championships: 1949, 1961, 1969, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1997 (men's skeleton), 2003 (Men's bobsleigh), "2009" [ [http://www.usoc.org/73_35344.htm United States Olympic Committee July 11, 2005 announcement of the FIBT awarding the FIBT World Championships 2009 to Lake Placid] - Accessed November 6, 2007.]
* FIL World Luge Championships: 1983, "2009" [ [http://www.orda.org/newsite/events/worldcups/200708/luge/index.php 2007-08 World Cup competition in Lake Placid, NY showing the FIL World Luge Championships 2009] - Accessed November 6, 2007.]

References

External links

* [http://fibt.pixabit.de/index.php?id=154&track_id=10&L=0 FIBT track profile] - Click on video link for track. Luge - men's singles intersects with the bobsleigh & skeleton part of the track prior to turn one, then where luge - women's singles & men's doubles intersect with bobsleigh-skeleton at turn four.
* [http://www.orda.org Official website]