Bobsleds Return for a Fast Journey Down and a Slow, Cumbersome Journey

YANQING, China – Sledges were blurring one after another through the bends at the National Gliding Center, each covering about a mile of icy twists and turns in just under an adrenaline-inducing minute.

But what went down – very quickly in this case – had to go back in time to descend again.

The return to the top for Olympic luge teams was not only much slower, but also played with laughter, sweat and of course with great care.

*

During Wednesday’s four-man practice, his teammates lifted their sledges off the track and laid them on its side after the first warm-up.

“It’s a very blue-collar sport,” said Frank Del Duca, 30-year-old United States pilot. “We’re coming down. We get our sleds. They weigh over 400 pounds.”

They carefully placed it on a flat dolly, similar to those used to move large furniture.

Then they drove him into one of the ever-waiting white trucks that looked like U-Haul pickup trucks. (The sled is first weighed on competition days to make sure it complies with regulations). A driver pulled the truck to the edge of the platform, allowing the athletes to load their sleds.

“We’re going up these steep hills and sometimes they get icy and sometimes the trucks get stuck trying to get up,” said Jimmy Reed, a pushing athlete for the United States. “So, sometimes the sleds fall if they’re not attached to the front of the truck. That happened. It didn’t happen here.”

*

The trucks are suitable for two teams of four. Competitors from different nationalities came together.

“We help each other,” Del Duca said. “There is a certain level of danger. Therefore, we have a certain respect and brotherhood towards each other.”

Some stood up, holding on to the straps like in the subway. Pilots often sat on their sleds, their legs dangling from the back of the truck.

“There isn’t a single nation I don’t think I can talk to,” said 25-year-old United States pilot Hunter Church. “Russia. Germany. Latvia is a bit quiet sometimes, but I’ll try to make a few jokes with them.”

The truck followed the many bends of the track, curving up a back road. Its raised ridge offered panoramic views of the snow-capped Xiaohaituo mountain region and the nearby Alpine ski resort.

If they hadn’t spoken to their opponents, the bobsleighs were reviewing their last run.

“I have myself, I have my team, and then I have my coach,” Church said. “That’s usually a big part of what we do, and then we get each other excited for the next drop.”

*

After about five minutes of driving, the truck returned to the edge of the safe track, where the sledges set off near the start gate.

Athletes kicked off their $300 spike before stepping out of the truck.

“We try to protect the spikes as much as possible as we go around on cement and wood so they stay fresh and sharp for as long as possible,” said Carlo Valdes of the United States.

*

Together, the athletes took the sled and placed it on another dolly. They took him to an area known as the ice box, a square sheet of ice, and lay him on his side for a minute.

In the past, sledders used blast torches to heat their sleds, these blades making contact with the ice and reducing friction to make their sled faster.

Now, to meet International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation regulations, all runners’ temperatures must be within four degrees of a reference runner exposed outdoors for at least one hour. The ice box kept temperatures within range.

“This makes it more equal and easier for everyone,” said Normunds Kotans, Latvian skating expert from the Beijing Organizing Committee. “No one needs to think about it.”

Next, a national technical official cleaned and wiped the runners to make sure they didn’t get water on them.

*

Athletes can fix and adjust runners on training days. During the competition playoffs, they are not allowed to make any substitutions starting 45 minutes before the start of the competition.

The sledges rolled onto the assembly line for their final journeys of the day, like airplanes preparing for a taxi. Some of the sleds stretched and warmed up trying to stay warm in 11 degrees Fahrenheit.

“For us there are a lot of little things you wouldn’t expect to be done to build such a large facility and a production like this and take a one-minute ride away,” said Josh Williamson, a push-up athlete for the United States.