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 worldwide sports group. It manages the exciting sliding sports of Bobsleigh and skeleton.

This organization was started on November 23, 1923, in Paris, France. Representatives from Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Canada, and the United States came together to create 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. Besides the Olympics, the IBSF also holds World Championships in the other three years. These races happen on special tracks in North America, Europe, and Asia. These tracks are also used for Luge, but luge is managed by a different group called the International Luge Federation.

History of Bobsleigh
History of Skeleton
IBSF Competitions and Disciplines
IBSF Tracks
IBSF Presidents
IBSF Championships
See also

History of Bobsleigh

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

The very first bobsleigh club was formed in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in 1897. By 1904, races were already happening on natural ice tracks, like the famous Olympia Bobrun St. Moritz-Celerina. This growing interest led to the creation of the FIBT in 1923. The next year, bobsleigh became part of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

At the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix, the four-man bobsleigh event was held for the first time. The first FIBT World Championships for the four-man event took place in 1930 in Caux-sur-Montreux, Switzerland. The two-man event followed in 1931 in Oberhof, Germany. The two-man competition then made its Olympic debut at the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.

After the 1952 Winter Olympics, new rules were made about the weight of bobsleighs. This was to make the sport fairer and safer. Over time, rules for tracks and sleds were also put in place. Bobsleigh was not in the 1960 Winter Olympics because building a track was too expensive. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, new tracks were built that could be artificially cooled. This made the sleds go much faster!

World Cup competitions started in the 1980s. Women's bobsleigh events began in the early 1990s. The first World Championships for 2-woman bobsleigh were in 2000 in Winterberg, Germany. This event then joined the Olympics at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. In 2016, the IBSF added a new type of bobsleigh called "mono-bob." This is a single-person sled, used in youth competitions and for women at the adult level.

History of Skeleton

Skeleton athlete sliding down a track

Skeleton also started in Switzerland in 1884, as part of the Cresta Run. For a while, it was mostly a Swiss sport. But by 1906, competitions began outside Switzerland in Austria. In 1926, the FIBT decided that skeleton would be an official Winter Olympic sport. It first appeared at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, with 13 athletes from five countries. Skeleton returned to the Olympics 20 years later, again in St. Moritz, for the 1948 Winter Olympics.

In 1954, skeleton was replaced by luge in the Olympic program. This made skeleton less popular for a while. But in 1970, a new "bobsleigh skeleton" was created. This sled could be used on any bobsleigh track. The building of artificial tracks also helped skeleton become popular again.

The first European Championship for skeleton was held in 1982 in Königsee, Germany. The first World Championships were also held in 1982 in St. Moritz. By 1986, the FIBT started supporting skeleton and created training schools around the world. Annual European Championships began in 1987. World Championships for skeleton started in 1989, but women's championships didn't begin 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 Disciplines

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

In bobsleigh, men compete in 2-man and 4-man events. Women compete in 2-woman and mono-bob events. In every bobsled team, one athlete sits at the front. This person is called the Pilot or Driver. They steer the bobsled using rings and ropes. In 2-man and 4-man bobsleigh, the other athletes help push the sled at the start. Once they jump in, they don't help with steering. The person 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 Brakeman are the same person.

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

IBSF Tracks

IBSF tracks are located 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 some of the 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	1975	121	6.0	18.0	16	2022	2020
France	La Plagne	1507.5	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