Skeleton at the Winter Olympics facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Skeleton at the Winter Olympics |
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| Governing body | IBSF |
| Events | 3 (men: 1; women: 1; mixed: 1) |
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Skeleton is an exciting winter sport where athletes race down an icy track on a small sled. They lie on their stomach, head-first, and use gravity to gain incredible speed! It's a bit like a super-fast slide on ice.
Skeleton first appeared in the Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland, way back in 1928. It was also part of the 1948 Games. After that, it took a long break from the Olympics. But don't worry, it made a big comeback! In 1999, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to bring skeleton back for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Since then, it has been a regular event at every Winter Olympics.
In 2022, the IOC added a new event for the 2026 Winter Olympics: a mixed team race! This means teams with both male and female athletes will compete together.
The sport got its name because the first metal sleds, made in 1892, looked a bit like a human skeleton. Skeleton is similar to luge, another sledding sport, but there's a key difference: in luge, athletes ride on their back, feet-first. In skeleton, it's head-first! Even though they often use the same tracks, the way they race is different.
Skeleton Events at the Olympics
Skeleton has been part of the Winter Olympics for many years. Here's how the events have grown:
- Men's Skeleton: This event was first held in 1928 and 1948. It returned to the Olympics in 2002 and has been a part of every Winter Games since then.
- Women's Skeleton: Women's skeleton made its Olympic debut in 2002 and has been a thrilling part of the Games ever since.
- Mixed Team Skeleton: This exciting new event will be added to the Olympic program starting in 2026, allowing men and women to compete together in teams.
Olympic Medals in Skeleton
Many countries have won medals in skeleton at the Winter Olympics. The Medals table below shows which countries have won the most gold, silver, and bronze medals up to the 2022 Winter Olympics.
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States |
3 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
| 2 |  Great Britain |
3 | 1 | 5 | 9 |
| 3 |  Germany |
2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 4 |  Canada |
2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 5 |  Russia |
1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
 Switzerland |
1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | |
| 7 |  Italy |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 South Korea |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 9 |  Latvia |
0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 |  Australia |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Austria |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 13 |  China |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Netherlands |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (14 entries) | 14 | 14 | 14 | 42 | |
See also
In Spanish: Skeleton en los Juegos Olímpicos para niños
- List of Olympic venues in skeleton
