Luge

A luge is small one- or two-person sled on which one sleighs supine and feet-first. Steering is done by flexing the sled's runners or pulling straps attached to the sled's runners. Luge is also the name of the sport which involves racing with such sleds.

Competition format

Luge can take place on two kinds of tracks, artificial tracks and natural tracks. Artificial tracks contains curves specially prepared for the sport, and even the ice on the track may be refrigerated. Natural tracks have no such adaptations. Most luge tracks, including almost all natural tracks, are located in Alpine countries:

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• notably Germany,
• Altenberg (Saxony)
• Königssee (Bavaria)
• Oberhof (Thuringia)
• Winterberg (Niedersachsen)
• Austria
• Innsbruck
• Italy
• Cortina d'Ampezzo only for bobsleigh
• Torino, will build for the Olympics in 2006
• Switzerland
• St. Moritz the world's longest and fastest natural track

Some artificial tracks exist in:

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• Japan → Nagano,
• North America,
• USA
• Lake Placid (New York)
• Salt Lake City (Utah)
• Negaunee (Michigan)
• Canada → Calgary (Alberta)
• Norway → Lillehammer
• Latvia → Sigulda
• France → La Plagne
• Bosnia and Herzegovina → Sarajevo (unsuitable)

usually built for the Olympic Games.

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Two different events are held in luge, events for single-seaters and events for double-seaters. Technically, women are allowed to compete in doubles, but doubles competitors continue to be almost exclusively male. Additionally, at major championships, a team competition is held, where one man, one woman and a doubles team form a team. Such teams may consists of athletes of two different nations when each nation cannot field a full team.

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