International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation
Official website

Sport	Bobsleigh and skeleton
Jurisdiction	International
Founded	23 November 1923; 101 years ago (1923-11-23)
Headquarters	Lausanne, Switzerland
President	Ivo Ferriani (2010–present)
Replaced	Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT)

The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) is a group that manages the exciting sliding sports of Bobsleigh and Skeleton around the world. It started on November 23, 1923, in Paris, France. Representatives from Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Canada, and the United States created it. In 2015, the group changed its name from FIBT to IBSF. Its main office is in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The IBSF works closely with the IOC. They help organize the Winter Olympics every four years. In the years between the Olympics, the IBSF holds World Championships. These races happen on special tracks in North America, Europe, and Asia. These tracks are also used for Luge, but that sport has its own group, the International Luge Federation.

History of Bobsleigh: How it Started
- Bobsleigh Rules and Changes Over Time
History of Skeleton: Sliding Headfirst
IBSF Competitions and Events
- Bobsleigh Events
- Skeleton Events
IBSF Tracks Around the World
Leaders of the IBSF
Major IBSF Championships
See also

History of Bobsleigh: How it Started

A 4-man bobsled team loading into the sled at the beginning of a race

The first bobsleigh club began in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in 1897. By 1904, races were happening on natural ice tracks. One famous track is the Olympia Bobrun St. Moritz-Celerina. This growth led to the FIBT being formed in 1923. The next year, it joined the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Before it was called IBSF, the organization was known by its French name, Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT). At the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix, the four-man bobsleigh event was held. The first FIBT World Championships for four-man bobsleigh took place in 1930 in Caux-sur-Montreux, Switzerland. The first two-man event happened in Oberhof, Germany, the next year. The two-man competition first appeared at the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.

In 1935, another group called the Internationaler Schlittensportsverband joined the FIBT. This group was an early version of the International Luge Federation. A "Luge Section" was created within FIBT. However, this luge section was removed when the FIL became its own group in 1957.

Bobsleigh Rules and Changes Over Time

After the 1952 Winter Olympics, rules about the weight of bobsleighs were added. Since then, rules for tracks and bobsleighs have been made for fair competition and safety. Bobsleigh was not part of the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California. This was because building a track was too expensive.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, new tracks were built that could be artificially refrigerated. This made the sleds go much faster. World Cup competitions started in the 1980s. Women's bobsleigh races began in the early 1990s. The first 2-woman bobsleigh World Championships were in Winterberg, Germany, in 2000. This event then debuted at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. In 2016, the IBSF added mono-bob as a new event for young athletes and for women's adult competitions.

History of Skeleton: Sliding Headfirst

Skeleton athlete sliding down a track

Skeleton also started in Switzerland in 1884. It was part of the Cresta Run. For a while, it was only a Swiss sport. But in 1906, the first races outside Switzerland happened in Austria. At the 1926 FIBT World Congress in Paris, skeleton was approved as an official Winter Olympic sport. It was first included at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz. Thirteen athletes from five countries competed. Twenty years later, skeleton returned to the Olympics when the 1948 Winter Olympics were held in St. Moritz again.

At an IOC meeting in Athens, Greece, in 1954, skeleton was replaced by luge in the Olympics. This made skeleton less popular for a time. But in 1970, a "bobsleigh skeleton" was developed. This new sled could be used on any bobsleigh track. The creation of artificial tracks also helped skeleton become popular again.

The first European Championship for skeleton was in 1982 at Königsee, Germany. The first World Championships were also held in 1982 in St. Moritz. By 1986, the FIBT started giving money to skeleton. They also started training schools around the world to help the sport grow. The next year, skeleton European Championships began happening every year. In 1989, skeleton World Championships were introduced. However, women's championships did not start until 2000 in Igls, Austria. Skeleton was brought back into the Winter Olympic program for the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, US.

IBSF Competitions and Events

The IBSF organizes many competitions for bobsleigh and skeleton. These include the European Cup, North American Cup, World Cup, and the Winter Olympics.

Bobsleigh Events

Men compete in 2-man and 4-man bobsled events. Women compete in 2-man and mono-bob events. In bobsleigh, one athlete sits at the front and steers the sled. This person is called the Pilot or Driver. In 2-man and 4-man bobsleigh, other athletes help push the sled at the start. They then jump in and do not help with steering. The athlete at the very back is called the Brakeman. They pull the brakes after the sled crosses the finish line. In mono-bob, the Driver and the Brakeman are the same person.

Skeleton Events

In skeleton, only one athlete competes. They push the sled and then lie on it face down. They slide through the same tracks as bobsleds. Like bobsled, there are rules for the minimum and maximum weight of the athlete and their sled combined.

IBSF Tracks Around the World

IBSF tracks are found on three continents: Europe, North America, and Asia. Each year, athletes can compete in three different racing series. The North American Cup and European Cup are for developing athletes. The World Cup is the highest level of competition. Below is a list of current IBSF Tracks:

Country	Track	Length (m)	Vertical Drop (m)	Average Grade (%)	Maximum Grade (%)	Number of Curves	Winter Olympics	Year Completed
Austria	Igls	1,228	124	9.0	18.0	14	1964, 1976	1963
Austria	Imst	1,000.9	124.8	12.48				1958
Canada	Whistler	1,450	148	9.0	20.0	16	2010	2007
China	Yanqing	1,975	121	6.0	18.0	16	2022	2020
France	La Plagne	1,507.5	124	8.0	14.0	19	1992	1990
Germany	Altenberg	1,413	122.22	8.66	15.0	17		1983
	Königssee	1,251.2	120	9.0	10.35	13 / 12		1968
	Oberhof	1,069.70	96.37	9.2	36.4	15		1971
	Winterberg	1,330	110	9.8	15.0	14		1977
Japan	Nagano	1,360	113	8.64		14	1998	1997
Korea, Rep.	Pyeongchang	1,376.38	116.32	9.48	25.0	16	2018	2016
Latvia	Sigulda	1,200	99	8.0	9.3	16		1986
Norway	Lillehammer	1,365	114.3	8.0	15.0	16	1994	1992
Russia	Sochi	1,500	124	20.0	22.0	19	2014	2013
Switzerland	St. Moritz	1,722	130	8.14	15.0	19	1928, 1948	1903
United States	Lake Placid	1,455	128	9.8	20.0	20	1932, 1980	1930
United States	Park City	1,335	103.9	8.1	15.0	15	2002	1997