How does a bobsleigh work?

 

A bobsleigh (also sometimes known as a “bobsled”) is a type of sled used in professional sporting competitions. Aside from its use, a racer’s bobsleigh is different from a regular sled in its construction; professional bobsleighs are built to facilitate the fast speeds and sharp turns needed to win a professional race! 

While sleds used for recreation or travel date back in use for about 700 years, competitive bobsleighing began only in the late 1800s. The sport picked up its name from the way that competitors learned to bob back and forth in order to make their sleds go faster!

Initially, most bobsleighs were made from wood, although today professional bobsleighs are almost always made of aluminum, steel, or fiberglass. A typical bobsleigh sits atop four runners aligned in two rows and is equipped with a steering wheel in front and a brake in back. Races begin with the racers pushing their bobsleigh off to the fastest start they can before hopping in to the sleigh for the journey down the track! The bobsleigh’s driver sits in front and operates the steering wheel, while the brakeman sits in back and controls the braking mechanism. Bobsleighing races are held during events such as the Winter Olympics, where each team (usually either two or four people) races down the track four different times to compete for the lowest total time – within 0.01 seconds!

If you live in a snowy place, have you ever spent a winter-afternoon sledding down a hill?

What are some of the strategies that you think professional bobsleigh racers must consider? What are some of the qualities that you think they’d need to have to succeed? Some good examples might include teamwork, strength, passion, and self-confidence! What others can you think of??