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Equipment:
- Alpine racing helmet with chin guard, or a skeleton-specific helmet
- Skin-tight racing speedsuit
- Spiked shoes, similar to track spikes
- Goggle or face shields
- Optional elbow and shoulder pads under their suits
- Sled - there's a minimum combined weight for sled/racer
- Sled frames made of steel; may not include steering or braking mechanisms; however, the base platemay be made of plastics
- Handles and bumpers along sides of sled help secure the athlete during a run
- If combined weight of athlete and sled falls below the minimum combined weight, ballasts may only be added to the sled, not the rider.
Strategy:
Skeleton is all about a big push at the start and tactical steering after that as the slider is taken on a bone-jarring journey down the icy course. If you think skeleton looks easy, try hurtling headfirst down an ice track at 85mph, on a piece of metal half the length of your body.
Once on the course, the athlete steers the skeleton by gently transferring weight to the left or right.
- It is important to take as direct a line as possible
- Avoid contact with the walls
- Reduce wind resistance by keeping elbows in and shoulders in contact with the sled
After crossing the finish line, the feet are dragged along the ice to bring the skeleton to a standstill.
Olympic competition consists of two runs, both held on the same day. Start order for the first run is based on a random draw the day before competition, and only a select number at the top qualify for the second run. For the final run, the slider with the best time goes last, and the one with the best combined time from the two runs wins.
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