Canada Olympic Park bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track

The Canada Olympic Park bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track is a bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track located in Calgary, Canada. Part of Canada Olympic Park, it hosted the bobsleigh and luge competitions at the 1988 Winter Olympics. This track is one of only two of its type in the world to be featured in a non-documentary film when it was part of the 1993 American film "Cool Runnings" which loosely followed the Jamaican Bobsled Team during their competition in bobsleigh at the 1988 Games (The other was the 1981 British film "For Your Eyes Only" which included scenes from the bobsleigh track in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. [ [http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/movies/fyeo_production.php3?t=fueo&s=fyeo "For Your Eyes Only" production notes featuring the Cortina track] ] ).

History

In 1981, Calgary was awarded the 1988 Winter Olympics over Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo. [ [http://www.gamesbids.com/english/archives/past.shtml Gamesbids.com archives of past awards of Olympic Games.] - accessed January 30, 2008] The track was constructed on a fast-track program running from fall 1984 to spring 1986. [http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1988/orw1988pt1.pdf 1988 Winter Olympics official report. Part 1.] pp. 114-9. en icon & fr icon - accessed February 10, 2008.] This was done with the help of East German technology and a consulting firm from Canada. It was the first combined track in North America and only the second of its type on the continent (Lake Placid, New York in the United States bobsleigh and luge tracks were separate when Calgary's construction was completed in spring 1986 though the Lake Placid track would be rebuilt as a combination track in January 2000. [ [http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1980/orw1980v1.pdf 1980 Winter Olympic Games official report - Volume 1.] pp. 57-66. en icon & fr icon] [ [http://www.goodwillgames/2000/2000_venuesMtVanHoev.html List of venues on Mt. Van Hoevenberg for the 2000 Winter Goodwill Games] - Accessed January 16, 2008.] ). During the 1988 Winter Olympics, the bobsleigh team from Jamaica debuted at these games, but crashed out during the third run of the four-man event. [ [http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1988/orw1988pt2.pdf 1988 Winter Olympic official report. Part 2.] pp. 564-66.] [ [http://www.todor66.com/olim/1988w/Bobsleigh_Fours.html 1988 bobsleigh four-man results] ] [ [http://www.jambob.com/html/frameset.html Jamaican bobsleigh team history] - accessed February 10, 2008.] The story of the team would later be part of the 1993 film "Cool Runnings" with scenes done at the track.imdb title|id=0106611|title=Cool Runnings] Skeleton was introduced to the track in the late 1980s with the track hosting the FIBT World Championships for skeleton in 1992. [http://sports123.com/ske/mw.html FIBT men's skeleton world championships results since 1989] ] An indoor iced push facility near the track opened up in 2001. [http://www.albertaskeleton.ca/Pages/Track.html Alberta Skeleton information on the Calgary track] - accessed February 6, 2008] ] When competition does not occur on the track, it offers programs for bobsleigh and luge open to the public. [ [http://www.canadaolympicpark.ca/Home/LessonsAndPrograms.asp#Luge_Rides Canada Olympic Park lessons and programs featuring bobsleigh and luge rides] - accessed February 10, 2008.]

Track technical details

Costing C$ 27 million to complete, the track consisted of 48 reinforced concrete section with five separate starting points. The facility is designed of that like a tuning fork with separate bobsleigh and luge start houses which was selected to lessen construction and maintenance costs. The two portions of the track merge at turn five prior to the Omega combination curve. Lined with 100 km (62.1 miles) of refrigeration coolant, the track can hold ice at air temperatures up to 20 deg C (68 deg F). Sunscreens were installed on curves directly exposed to the sunlight to keep the track smooth and prevent melting. Electronic timing systems include double photo sensors at the start and finish positions of the track and artificial lighting is used to allow for night runs on the track. Lighting was adjusted at the request of the host television broadcaster (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) prior to the games to ensure proper video coverage for the 1988 games.

tatistics

Championships hosted

*1988 Winter Olympics
*FIBT World Championships: 1992 (skeleton), 1996 [http://sports123.com/bob/mw-2.html Bobsleigh two-man world championship medalists since 1931] ] , 2001 (Women's bobsleigh, men's and women's skeleton) [http://sports123.com/bob/ww-2.html Bobsleigh two-woman world championship medalists since 2000] ] , 2005
*FIL World Luge Championships: [ [http://sports123.com/lug/mw-s.html FIL World Luge Championships men's single results since 1955] ] 1990, 1993, 2001

References

External links

* [http://www.canadaolympicpark.ca/winter.asp Canada Olympic Park website including the track]
* [http://fibt.pixabit.de/index.php?id=150&track_id=6&L=0 FIBT track profile] - Click on video link for track. The luge section of the track intersects with the bobsleigh and skeleton portion at turn five before the start of the Omega combination.
* [http://www.fil-luge.org/filext/Track/calgary_en.htm FIL-Luge track profile]