As bobsled is not popular in the south- and really not anywhere in the states- most people don't really know what the sport actually is. I usually get asked if it's like the movie, Cool Runnings, and have even been asked if I'm on the Jamaican team (Cool Runnings will give you a rough idea of what we do- but it is fiction and no- I'm not on the Jamaican team). Anyways, bobsled traditionally has two disciplines, 2-man and 4-man. Only men compete in both disciplines, while women only have 2-man. There's many reasons why this is- but I'll save those reasons for another post. In a 4-man sled, you have 3 brakemen and one driver. The 3 brakemen are actually two side pushers and a brakeman (the person who sits in the back and pulls the brakes at the end- usually the last person in the sled and in 4 man- the one who feels the most pressure). In a 2-man sled, which again is the only discipline in which women compete, there is just a driver and a brakeman. The brakeman is responsible for the initial velocity- pushing the sled at the top of the hill to get as much speed as possible to start the run. Brakeman are judged on 'start times' or the time from the first timing eye to the 50m mark. Start times vary per track- with some tracks having start times around 5.20s (Whistler) while others have start times sometimes in the 6.00s (St. Moritz). The U.S. team has some of the fastest push times, and as a brakeman, you make the Olympic team by pushing fast (and by being able to play the game- something I'm not very good at and another topic for a later post). The driver, the person in the front of the sled, is responsible for making sure the sled makes it down on all 4 runners (the blades that are on the ice- they're not sharp but actually curved) and for making it down as fast as possible. Drivers or pilots drive the sled onto and off of curves in order to reach the bottom the fastest. Our sport is a sport where time is critical, and races can be won or lost by hundredths of a second. For World Cup races, the fastest time after two combined runs is the winner, while in the Olympics it's the fastest time after four combined runs is the gold medalist. There's more to bobsled- but I think we've covered the basics for now.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Bobsled 101
As bobsled is not popular in the south- and really not anywhere in the states- most people don't really know what the sport actually is. I usually get asked if it's like the movie, Cool Runnings, and have even been asked if I'm on the Jamaican team (Cool Runnings will give you a rough idea of what we do- but it is fiction and no- I'm not on the Jamaican team). Anyways, bobsled traditionally has two disciplines, 2-man and 4-man. Only men compete in both disciplines, while women only have 2-man. There's many reasons why this is- but I'll save those reasons for another post. In a 4-man sled, you have 3 brakemen and one driver. The 3 brakemen are actually two side pushers and a brakeman (the person who sits in the back and pulls the brakes at the end- usually the last person in the sled and in 4 man- the one who feels the most pressure). In a 2-man sled, which again is the only discipline in which women compete, there is just a driver and a brakeman. The brakeman is responsible for the initial velocity- pushing the sled at the top of the hill to get as much speed as possible to start the run. Brakeman are judged on 'start times' or the time from the first timing eye to the 50m mark. Start times vary per track- with some tracks having start times around 5.20s (Whistler) while others have start times sometimes in the 6.00s (St. Moritz). The U.S. team has some of the fastest push times, and as a brakeman, you make the Olympic team by pushing fast (and by being able to play the game- something I'm not very good at and another topic for a later post). The driver, the person in the front of the sled, is responsible for making sure the sled makes it down on all 4 runners (the blades that are on the ice- they're not sharp but actually curved) and for making it down as fast as possible. Drivers or pilots drive the sled onto and off of curves in order to reach the bottom the fastest. Our sport is a sport where time is critical, and races can be won or lost by hundredths of a second. For World Cup races, the fastest time after two combined runs is the winner, while in the Olympics it's the fastest time after four combined runs is the gold medalist. There's more to bobsled- but I think we've covered the basics for now.
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So is it more important for the brakeman as a pusher to be strong or fast? Would an Olympic 100 meter dash champ make a great brakeman, or does it require a delicate combination of both strength and speed?
ReplyDeleteDefinitely requires both strength and speed. Most 100m dash champs are too small for our sport- our sleds are very heavy and usually 100m dash runners are small. The average size of a bobsled female weighs 165lbs-180lbs- we're big girls!! 100m dash runners for females are usually somewhere in the 120lbs-140lbs range. Big difference! Not to mention pushing a sled is more difficult than most people think- not everyone can do it- some great athletes have come to bobsled but not succeed even though they are some of the fastest and strongest athletes in the world! Strength and speed combo is best.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to hear about world class female athletes who are in my weight range. :) I bet it's really difficult to find women that size with any kind of speed. I know as a former shot putter and softball player, I've always been big and strong; but, as my dad always said, you have to time my 100 yard dash with a calendar.
ReplyDeleteJust wondering how a brakeman knows what do do when when they can't see?
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the bronze -- great job on the track and great job off as a representative of your country
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