More than a hundred years ago, this adrenaline sport developed in Switzerland when daring winter sports enthusiasts began racing down the icy slopes on toboggans. The FAST-PACED descents quickly gained international recognition and eventually became part of the Olympic Games.

With speeds of up to 140 km/h and only a few centimetres above the ice, this sport requires courage and precision.

The "toboggans" used in Alpine countries at the end of the 19th Century were inspired by Canadian/lndian sleds used for transport. The Norwegian sled, the "Ake", used by fishermen - and the similar "Kjaelke", used for amusement on the ice - are also forerunners of the sKELETONS used in today’s winter sports.

1882 1892 1905 1923 1948 1969 1970 1986 1987 1992 2002 2004 Today

1882

In 1882, when skiing was still unknown in central Europe, English soldiers constructed a toboggan track leading from Davos to Klosters in Switzerland. The course was similar in design to the very popular Canadian tracks, but they were no more than a straight slide down. In order to make it more challenging, curves were inserted in the Davos track. It was used for descents on toboggans, which, at that time, were already divided into three categories according to whether they were of Canadian, American or Swiss origin.

1892

In 1892, an Englishman, Mr. Child, surprised his sports friends with a new sled made mostly from metal. Some speculate that since the sled looked like a skeleton, it was thusly called. Others claim that the name "Skele" derives from an incorrect Anglicization of the Norwegian word "Kjaelke". Both explanations may be correct but what is certain is that, from that time on, the sport known both as tobogganing and skeleton has been exciting and intriguing by any name.

1905

In 1905, skeleton was practiced for the first time outside Switzerland, on the occasion of a bobsleigh competition at Muerzzuschlag in Styria (Austria).

One year later, in 1906, the first Austrian championships were held there. In 1908 and 1910, competitions were also carried out on the Semmering Mountain near Vienna.

1923

In 1923, the IBSF, originally FIBT was formally constituted. According to the minutes of the FIBT Paris Congress in 1926, the International Olympic Committee declared bobsleigh and skeleton Olympic sports. This Congress decided to accept the skeleton rules of St. Moritz, Switzerland, as valid for all competitions.

In 1928, at St. Moritz, the American Jennison Heaton won the first Olympic gold medal in skeleton. His younger brother, John, was runner-up.

1948

In 1948 - 20 years later - the fifth Olympic Winter Games were again held in this fashionable winter sports resort in the Engadine. Thirteen athletes from five countries took part. Italian Nino Bibbia, who lived in St. Moritz, won the title after six runs, and John Heaton won his second Olympic silver medal. In later years, Bibbia achieved victories in 200 more skeleton competitions.

1969

The opening of the first artificially refrigerated bobsleigh and luge track in 1969, at Königssee/Berchtesgaden in Germany, offered athletes the first opportunity to plan and carry out practice and competition regardless of weather conditions.

1970

In 1970, a new sled was created from the traditional skeleton used on the Cresta in St. Moritz. The new "bobsleigh skeleton" was specifically designed for use on bobsleigh runs. As the sport grew in popularity, new rules and regulations evolved through the IBSF to assure uniformity and fairness.

1986

Since 1986, International Skeleton Schools have been organized on various tracks. The newly founded Skeleton Commission introduced Solidarity Programs to facilitate new members in skeleton activities. The IBSF began special training programs to encourage national federations to improve their athletes’ training.

1987

With the participation of 12 countries in the 1987 European Championships, the IBSF Executive Committee met the minimum criteria for re-introducing the World Championships. In addition, new tracks in Calgary, Albertville and Lillehammer offered further opportunities for practicing skeleton. Many bobsleigh nations now realized the advantage of the argument always propagated by the skeleton officials - to train young, aspiring athletes via skeleton for their future career in bobsleigh.

1992

In 1992, 20 countries took part in the World Cup series. A year later, the number increased to 23. In 1994, IBSF reached its target of 25 countries, fulfilling the demand of its IBSF Executive Committee. At present, skeleton is practiced on a competitive level by some 30 countries from six continents.

2002

Skeleton competition returned to the Olympic Winter Games in 2002 with men’s and women’s competition in Park City, Utah, ending its 54-year absence from the world’s most prestigious sports competition. The sport continued as an Olympic discipline in Cesana, Italy in 2006, in Whistler/Vancouver in 2010 and in Sochi in 2014. The new track in PyeongChang will also welcome all the skeleton athletes in 2018.

2004

The IBSF combined its World Championships at Königssee in 2004, offering skeleton, men’s bobsleigh and women’s bobsleigh events on one track over two weeks. Prior to this, Skeleton and women’s bobsleigh held separate World Championships.

Participation in skeleton has increased significantly as a result of its return to the Olympic program. Europa Cup and North American Cup events have attracted large fields. In 2007-2008 the IBSF added an Intercontinental Cup circuit, one level below the World Cup, to provide additional skeleton competitions.

Today

The 2018 PyeongChang Olympics witnessed a fiercely competitive atmosphere, with standout performances from athletes such as Jacqueline Lölling and Yun Sung-bin who elevated the sport to new heights. Post-PyeongChang, skeleton experienced further growth and global expansion. Emerging nations made strategic investments, enriching the diversity of competitions. Athletes hailing from unconventional regions injected a fresh and thrilling dynamic into events. The narrative of skeleton continued to evolve significantly with the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, further solidifying its global impact. In 2022 the IOC included Skeleton Mixed team as an additional event to the Winter olympic program, starting with the Milano Cortina Olympic Games 2026.
 

Skeleton at a glance

Skeleton, which takes place on the same track as the bobsleigh, starts with a single athlete pushing their sled one or two handed away from the start before diving onto the sled and descending the ice track. Athletes lie down, head first with their chin only millimeters from the ice and arms at their sides, steering the skeleton with their shoulders, knees and toes.

Feeling is everything in Skeleton and the smallest shift in bodyweight can separate the fastest lines from the being out of control. On a skeleton sled athletes can reach speeds of up to 150 km/h (over 93mph) and experience a gravitational force of up to 5G.

Top skeleton sliders are looking for maximum power and acceleration as they push their sled from a standing start, with the first 50-metres typically covered in about five seconds while reaching speeds of over 40 km/h.

SKELETON SLED

equipment

RACING

In skeleton, there are separate racing disciplines for men and women. In World Cup competitions two heats are held over one day. At the IBSF World Championships (held annually except in the Olympic year), four heats are held over two days. The skeleton competition at the 2010 Olympic Winter games in Vancouver, Canada has been a four-heat competition for the first time.

The athlete with the lowest combined time in all heats is the winner. There are also North American Cup and Europe Cup race series, the development level circuits for the newer sliders. These races allow the athletes to gain experience and earn the qualifications needed to compete at the World Cup and World Championships levels. A new IBSF circuit, The Intercontinental Cup, started with the 2007-2008 season. In addition to the senior World Championships, athletes under the age of 23 can compete in the Junior World Championships.

START AND SLED CONTROL ON THE TRACK

The athlete starts holding the sled handle. The countdown starts when the sled brakes the light beam of the first timing eye which is in 15 m from the start block. After this the athlete does a quick ‘jump’ with the legs up and finally lies down on the sled head first. In order to minimize the windage the athlete huddles tightly to the sled. The distance between the chin and the ice is just 5 cm, legs and arms are stretched back and the tips of the shoes help to control the sled on the track.

Once the athlete has loaded at the start, they must then steer the sled through twisting, high-speed turns and straight-aways. Steering is done by shoulder and leg "manipulations" of the sled, which in turn cause the runner contact to change the sled direction. Steer too hard and the sled will skid, losing valuable time. Steer too little and the sled is at the mercy of the track, causing slow times at best, and a crash at worst.

Skeleton sliders often talk of the "feel" they need to have to race well and the sense they develop of when to let the sled run and when to steer. Just as downhill skiers try different lines to find the quickest way down a slope, so too do skeleton drivers study every twist and turn on a track to figure out the fastest way to the finish.