Skeleton is an Olympic sport for both men and women, and was first introduced at the 1928 Winter Olympics. It gained permanent Olympic status in 2002 when it became an official discipline at the Salt Lake City Games. While the full versions of skeleton are not suitable for youngsters, there are some places where you can try it. For example, Manchester's Chill Factor-e provides an introduction to the sport, allowing young people to gain transferable skills.
Tracks
There are no skeleton tracks in the UK. Although Britain's women have been successful in international competitions, its men have not been as successful. The University of Bath has a small start track, which is used by skeleton athletes. For aspiring athletes, the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association offers membership packages, as well as opportunities to compete at British championships. Talent ID days are also held regularly.
The first Olympic events in skeleton were held in 1928. Women's skeleton gained Olympic status in 2002. The sport is not suitable for younger people. Children and young adults may not wish to take part in full skeleton events, but the Chill Factor-e in Manchester offers an introduction to the sport. It also teaches transferable skills.
Equipment
Skating equipment is available from a range of suppliers in the UK. These companies provide equipment for skating of different types and levels of ability, and often have representatives at rinks who are happy to offer free assessments and advice. Often skate equipment is available with a single frame, but the same frame can be used by several people. The harness is also interchangeable between users.
Races
Skeleton races in the UK have long been a popular sport, but the British association has no skeleton track of its own. Despite this, British athletes have won numerous medals and have competed for the nation at the most prestigious international competitions. Skeleton was reintroduced to the Olympic programme in 2002. UK Sport has since invested in the sport, increasing the coaching of its athletes, and improving the equipment and support infrastructure. In recent years, British athletes have been rewarded with medals, including Lizzy Yarnold's gold medal win at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.
Skeleton first appeared at the Olympics in 1928 and became a permanent fixture in the Salt Lake City Games in 2002. Since then, British sliders have been achieving significant success both in and out of the Olympic games. In 2004, British slider Kristan Bromley became the first man to win the World Cup, World Championship, and European Championship all in the same season. The following year, he won a second World Cup and a European gold.
Women's skeleton
In the recent Winter Olympics, Great Britain's Laura Deas took home the bronze medal for the women's skeleton event. Until that time, no British woman had ever won an individual medal in the sport. The Olympic success of Deas has sparked interest in British skeleton.
The sport has a long tradition in Britain. Amy Williams won the first ever gold in Vancouver in 2010 and was followed by the gold that Lizzy Yarnold won in Sochi in 2014. In 2014, Sarah Yarnold won the Olympic gold in Sochi and then again in PyeongChang 2018. In addition to Yarnold, other British skeleton athletes include Laura Deas, Dom Parsons, Laura Davies and Ellie Jones.
Women's bobsleigh
The sport of bobsleigh has a rich history in the UK. It was first featured at the Winter Olympics in 1924, and has been included in every Winter Olympics since. In 1932, a two-man bobsleigh was added to the mix, and Great Britain won its first Olympic gold medal in the sport in 1964. The sport was created by a group of young Leeds engineers, and the bobsleds featured many novel features.
The number of women competing in the sport has increased over the past few years. The number of British bobsled teams has increased to over ten this year, and women's bobsleigh has been included in the Olympics since 2002. Many British women bobsled teams have consistently placed in the top three at World Championships. Recent successes include Nicola Minichiello and Jackie Davies taking Silver at the 2005 World Championships. Paula Walker is currently the number one driver for the UK, and is ranked 15th in the world.
