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Luge, Bobsleigh, and Skeleton

Athena

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selkie

selkie

And a welcome to the Nigerian women's bobsled team:

http://time.com/5104583/watch-the-nigerian-bobsled-teams-olympic-journey/

 

Quote

When Adigun, who in December earned a masters degree in exercise and health sciences and became a doctor of chiropractic, pitched Nigerian sports officials about starting a bobsled federation, they seemed a bit bewildered. “You don’t even have to be in Nigeria to be confused as to why three Nigerians who live in Texas are competing in the sport of bobsled,” she says.

What started out as a quixotic quest has become another story worthy of Hollywood: Adigun and her sled have qualified for the 2018 Winter Olympics in the two-person event (the only one for women) in PyeongChang, having picked up Under Armour and Visa as sponsors. The athletes also landed a Beats by Dr. Dre spot. All the members of the Nigerian bobsled team are former top-flight college sprinters with dual Nigerian-American citizenship. Adugin went to Houston and ran the 100-meter hurdles for Nigeria at the ’12 Summer Olympics, Onwumere also went to Houston and Omeoga attended Minnesota.

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Athena

Athena

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17 minutes ago, legaleagle53 said:

Oh, well who am I to argue with the IOC?  Bobsleigh it is, then!  :-)

Everyone should argue with the IOC at some point! 

I think the difference is that bobsled is chiefly North American term for the sport while bobsleigh is the more widely used in the UK and other anglophone countries. 

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selkie

selkie

5 hours ago, blueray said:

That's a good story. Good luck to them. Though I'm confused is it a three person team?

 

It's a two man sled; the driver position is petty much fixed within a federation (During the World Cup season, sleds are identified by both driver and country) . The brakemen- and for four man the other two pushers- will rotate spots within their national federation behind each driver to see who can consistently get a couple extra hundredths of a second on runs. So one of the brakemen is effectively an alternate for the sled Seun Adigun- Nigeria 1. 

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blackwing

blackwing

Great job by Chris Mazdzer!  Now I know how to say this guy's name.  I liked seeing him hopping the fence after the third run and running to the stands to see his family.  They were so happy for him!  Great show of support by Erin Hamlin too.

Seems like a nice guy.  I was chuckling at the oversized cutouts of his face that the family was waving.

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MyAimIsTrue

MyAimIsTrue

We were watching luge while at a restaurant last night and during Loch's final run something happened to the cable feed and the picture got very snowy so for a while we couldn't tell if he was being congratulated or consoled.  After finally realizing what was going on I felt sorry for the guy but at the same time was very happy for Chris Mazdzer.

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blackwing

blackwing

I have so many questions about doubles luge.  I get to do well in singles luge, you have to be big and heavy.  All the top guys seem to be over 6 feet and 200+ pounds.  How does someone decide they want to do doubles?  If they are small, they get to be the top guy?  Is the collection of bottom guys a series of bigger guys who weren't good enough for singles?

Is the doubles sled bigger than the singles?  

How does the top guy stay on?  Is it all just two handles and G force?  Are there ever instances where the top guy can't hold on and flies off?

Why cant they make some kind of bicycle seat or something for the top guy, so he doesn't have to put all his weight against the bottom guy's chest and crotch?

What exactly does each of them do?  Does the bottom guy steer?  Is the top guy only there to add weight so they go faster?

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blackwing

blackwing

Why didn't the US put Erin Hamlin as the woman?  The one they used lost them the medal.  She put them in 7th after her leg.  She might have been ranked higher for the year but she did mediocre in the singles event whereas Hamlin was 5th.  Chris Mazdzer made up a lot of time.  The doubles team wasn't that great but I don't think there was a better option.  With the women, they could have used Hamlin and perhaps gotten a medal.

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Eyes High

Eyes High

(edited)
6 hours ago, blackwing said:

Why didn't the US put Erin Hamlin as the woman?  The one they used lost them the medal.  She put them in 7th after her leg.  She might have been ranked higher for the year but she did mediocre in the singles event whereas Hamlin was 5th.  

The commentators on my feed said that the US picked Summer Britcher because she was more consistent. The irony!

Edited by Eyes High
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blackwing

blackwing

(edited)

I'm watching women's skeleton right now.  I'm amused by the fact that the luge sleds look like these creations that cost a million dollars, all sleek and shiny and painted and custom molded to the athlete's butt.  Whereas the skeleton sleds look like something someone's dad put together in the garage with some PVC pipe and hard tarp.

Edited by blackwing
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SeanC

SeanC

Germany had an uncharacteristically medal-less performance in the bobsleigh in Sochi. They're looking better this time around, halfway through the two-man bobsleigh trials. After two of the four heats, German teams are sitting in the gold, bronze, and fifth place positions. Canada's Kripps and Kopacz are in the silver medal position, while two Latvian teams are in fourth and sixth.

Strong performance from the Canadians (particularly given that a crash by the team going before them on their second run may have affected them by delaying their starting time). Canada doesn't have much of a track record in this event, as Pierre Lueders' team won gold in 1998 (tied) and silver in 2006, but otherwise never.

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blackwing

blackwing

So did the kerfluffle about the British skeleton suits amount to anything?  It was said that they had extra ridges or something to make them more aerodynamic, and that the rules prohibit this.  Two of their women medalled.  No violation?  If not, why isn't everyone using these suits?  Reminds me of the flap about the swimming full body suits some years ago and people complaining that only rich people could afford them.  So now, back to more traditional looking suits.

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legaleagle53

legaleagle53

2 hours ago, blackwing said:

So did the kerfluffle about the British skeleton suits amount to anything?  It was said that they had extra ridges or something to make them more aerodynamic, and that the rules prohibit this.  Two of their women medalled.  No violation?  If not, why isn't everyone using these suits?  Reminds me of the flap about the swimming full body suits some years ago and people complaining that only rich people could afford them.  So now, back to more traditional looking suits.

Oh, so THAT'S what happened to the full body-armor suits in Rio!

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walnutqueen

walnutqueen

4 hours ago, blackwing said:

It was said that they had extra ridges or something to make them more aerodynamic, and that the rules prohibit this

Sorry, but all I could think of when I read this is : "Ruffles have ridges".  (I know, I know, I'm twelve and still enjoy rolling my Rs).  ;-)

UNAUTHORIZED RIDGES had better not be the breakout scandal of the 2018 Olympics ... just sayin'.

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mtlchick

mtlchick

7 minutes ago, SeanC said:

Kripps and Kopacz take Canada's sixth gold in a tie with the Germans, twenty years after we tied the Italians for gold.

Was that the year  Ludders won?

I am uber excited for the women's bobsled to start.

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SeanC

SeanC

16 minutes ago, mtlchick said:

Was that the year  Ludders won?

Yeah, Pierre Lueders is the only Canadian pilot to previously medal in two-man bobsleigh (having a gold and a silver).

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walnutqueen

walnutqueen

11 minutes ago, galaxygirl76 said:

After watching the two man Bob yesterday my six year old is now very excited about the four man bob, she asked if you can put ten people in it too to which my response was 'honey its a bobsled not a clown car.' 

I'd pay to watch a ten person clown car do the "bobsled".  ;-)

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meep.meep

meep.meep

The 2 man bobsleigh final was shown last night - ended in a tie for 1st!

Who has a faster times, the lugers or the skeletons?  It's the same track right?  Only difference is whether you lie on your back or on your front.

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blackwing

blackwing

4 minutes ago, meep.meep said:

The 2 man bobsleigh final was shown last night - ended in a tie for 1st!

Who has a faster times, the lugers or the skeletons?  It's the same track right?  Only difference is whether you lie on your back or on your front.

I believe the lugers go faster, it seems to me they are more aerodynamic.  They wear those shoes and point their toes.  I think they steer by shifting their weight.  The skeleton is not as aerodynamic because of the helmet first, and I could visibly see some of them moving their feet to brake or steer and you don't see that in luge

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SeanC

SeanC

Kaillie Humphries takes her third straight bobsleigh medal, though bronze instead of gold this time.

Congratulations to Phylicia George, who finished 6th and 8th in women’s hurdles in the last two Summer Olympics before making the switch to bobsleigh.  She’s at last got her moment on the podium.

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galaxygirl76

galaxygirl76

8 minutes ago, blackwing said:

Since when did Korea become a bobsled power?  Sitting in 2nd place after two runs.  I get that it's their home course, but still.  Never heard of them being decent in past Olympics.

Google told me that the guy steering won the world cup in the two man bob a few years ago so at least he didn't come completely out of nowhere.

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