by Michael Cassidy
With the Winter Olympics approaching, people will have the
fortune of watching sports that are televised so infrequently that many people
only get to watch them once every four years. Despite some of them being very
exciting, people forget about the exhilarating thrill that is received from
watching such events, and the sport is merely forgotten during the grueling
breaks in between Winter Olympics. Then, once again, the Winter Olympics come
back and in the months leading up to the games, people are reminded of how
entertaining these sports are.
One
of these events capable of sparking interest in many people but is then
forgotten during the years that come in between each Olympics is bobsledding.
Zipping down the steep-sloped-track at a speed around 90 miles per hour,
bobsledders are required to have tremendous control over the cart, which
contains no steering wheel and faces turns more difficult than most cars have
faced. Turning the sled requires help from all four competitors (if it is a
four person competition), since it can weigh over one thousand pounds (the sled
is limited to 1,388 in most competitions). “Bobsledding is really cool because
bobsleds go fast and are dangerous” senior Andrew Morgan said as he expressed
his interest in the sport, and did not fail to recognize the courage the
competitors have.
The
narrow tracks that bobsledders race on are made of pure ice. The twisting
nature of the track has, in the past, resulted in sleds turtling, causing serious
injuries and deaths. The sport is very dangerous. In fact the three sports of
its nature (bobsledding, the luge, and the skeleton) are considered by many the
most dangerous sports in the world. One death that occurred was an American
competitor James Morgan. His accident occurred at a track that was used for the
Olympics. His accident showed the world that even tracks used for the Olympics
can be dangerous enough to cause fatal accidents that lead to death.
Bobsledders
are required to make a completely still sled pick up speed, and then as it is
picking up speed they have to jump inside it. The bobsledders then are required
to have complete control over a sled that is going down a mile long path of
ice. If you have ever driven over ice in your car, then you most likely know
the treachery of skidding on ice. Now imagine having that feeling for a mile straight,
wrapping around tight bends and staying on a narrow path. The thrill that the competitors
feel cannot match the fear that would be bestowed upon someone who was
attempting to try the sport for the first time.
It is
a thrill to say the least, and in a little over two months the best bobsledders
in the world will be hitting the track to fulfill their lifelong dream. The competitions
consist of separate races for both males and females and separate races for the
two- and four- person races. The countries that have been the most successful
overall (adding up all the medals from every event) are Germany with 40 total
medal, Switzerland with 30, and the United States with 20.
Bobsledding
is a sport that actually does have a history. At the first Winter Olympics
bobsledding made an appearance. The first Winter Olympics took place in France
in 1924. The sport has also been an event in every Winter Olympics following
that one, but also in drawing a fan base that has been increasing with each
Winter Olympics. Through all the Olympics the sport has developed, the sleds
have begun to move faster, and the participants have become more skilled. A
variety of tracks have popped up all around the world, and all in all the sport
is growing. While the game did make an appearance at the first Winter Olympics
(as stated earlier), bobsledding is a much different sport than it was back
then. As its popularity grows, so does the skill the sport is performed at. The
sport is an evolving sport that could possibly one day be televised on a much
more frequent basis than it is these days.
For
the up and coming Winter Olympics, Team USA looks to be very strong in each of
the categories. After a great performance in Vancouver 2010, Team USA looks to
only improve prior performances. To many, the United States bobsled team
preforming better than they ever have before appears to be very possible. The American
goal is to win each event, and according to www.teamusa.org
Sochi 2014 is a place where this can be done. “The goal for the men and women
to sweep the podium in Sochi is becoming a reality,” the website says.
A
country is limited to (but not promised) three qualifying teams for each
bobsledding event in the Winter Olympics. USA has already clinched a spot for
these Sochi 2014, but has until January 19, 2014 to clinch all the spots that
is possible for a country. Being a strong bobsledding country this is a very
possible milestone for Team USA to reach in this upcoming Olympics. Not every
country gets a representative team in each event; in fact it is very possible
that a country won’t get a bobsled team in any of the events. Countries aren’t
promised a spot in bobsledding because in men’s bobsledding there are only 30
spots (for both the two-person and four-person), and in the women’s bobsledding
there are even less spots, as both the two-person and four-person race only has
20 teams! This makes the qualifications even more competitive because while
there is “room” for technically 60 countries for the male events and 40
different countries for women events many of the countries that are more
dominate in bobsledding are sending in multiple teams. The United States is not
the only country looking to qualify more than one team in each event. Countries
like Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Canada and many other countries have more
than one team for each event that they are hoping will qualify for Sochi 2014.
This brings a whole other level of competition because not only is winning a
gold medal a mile stone, but even making it to the Olympics in this sport is an
achievement that very few teams ever get to reach.
As
the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia is on its way, bobsledders are beginning
to prepare for the event, and for the dream they always wanted to achieve. For bobsledders,
the Winter Olympics is what got a lot of them interested in the sport. In this
Olympics, Sochi is setting a record as they will be having the bobsledders race
on the biggest track in the world. The track was just recently finished, and
was tested and used for the first time in March of 2012 for the Russian
Championships. As a country, the track has gotten Russia pretty excited. In
fact, Russia promises that the bobsled track will have an amazing atmosphere,
according to “The Global Times”. Bobsledding,
as stated earlier, is a growing sport and having an amazing atmosphere along
with a growing population can create a great prospective for the sport, and
result with many more people becoming intrigued with it.
As the teams talented enough to qualify for the Olympic take the track in Sochi, Russia during the month of February, they will be attempting to reach a goal that they have always strived for. Although the competitors might not have been bobsledding as long as the hockey players have been playing hockey, or the skiers/snowboarders have been skiing/snowboarding, their dedication has been equal. The courage it takes to pick up a sport like bobsledding and the talent it takes to reach the level that the Olympians are performing at is unexplainable. As the Olympians take the track in 2014, tune in, watch their talents, and think about the courage it takes to get into a sled and go straight down the ice. Take a moment to recognize the unsung talent, abilities, and courage that the Olympic bobsledders have. Catch the televised races and cheer on team USA as they go for the gold!
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| Team USA celebrates after a successful run |
