Men’s Two-Man Bobsled

 

 

 

On February 17th, we drove out to the Utah Olympic Park for our first outdoor event: Men’s Two-Man Bobsled. The parking lot for this event was at the base of the hill, about 1.2 miles from the bobsled track. There was a shuttle service which took spectators up to the event. But, since the day was nice, we decided to walk. At the end of our hike, we were given a pin commemorating our effort.

 

The track was rather crowded (as can be seen in the second picture). Most of the people had already staked out positions along the course. We jostled with the crowd and tucked into the best location we could find. What we didn’t realize is that the sleds with the best time in the early heats are the first sleds to race in the finals. So, the race’s winner is decided fairly early into the event. Once the race was determined, the crowd thinned out dramatically. What that meant for us was that we only saw glimpses of the fastest sleds (like USA I in the fifth picture) and some great views of the slower sleds (like the Romanian and Slovakian sleds).

 

Two points stand out in my memory of this event. The first is the experience of watching a bobsled race past. The initial impression that makes one aware that a sled is coming is the noise. There is a low rumble that one hears from up on the mountain. The rumble gets louder as the sled approaches. Then, the sled appears and passes by in a blur. Before anyone realizes it, the track is quiet again. Only then can one marvel and appreciate the speed at which these sleds travel. The second point that stands out to me is how close the spectators are to the sleds. Once most of the crowd left after the fast sleds, we stood right up against the track. I then realized that the sleds were racing by within five feet of me. Given the speed and apparent danger of the sport, it’s amazing that one can get that close to the action. But, I suppose that’s what makes bobsledding as exciting as it is.

 

Final Results:

 

Gold: Germany I

Silver: Switzerland I

Bronze: Switzerland II

 

Pictures (from top left):

  1. Me on the hike to the bobsled track with the ski jump behind me. (DL)
  2. Germany II races along the track near the end of its run (ML)
  3. The Romanian sled (ML)
  4. The Slovakian sled races past (ML)
  5. The best picture I have of USA I (ML)
  6. The real way to watch bobsled action (DL)

 

Me on the way to the bobsled tracks with the ski jump in the background.          The Germany II sled has almost completed its run.                             The Romanian sled

 

 

The Slovakian sled races past.            The best picture I have of the USA I sled            The real way to watch bobsledding.

 

 

 

                                                                                                     

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