Königssee bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track
Encyclopedia
The Königssee bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track is a venue for bobsleigh
Bobsleigh
Bobsleigh or bobsled is a winter sport in which teams of two or four make timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sled that are combined to calculate the final score....

, luge
Luge
A Luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine and feet-first. Steering is done by flexing the sled's runners with the calf of each leg or exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh 21-25 kilograms for singles and 25-30 kilograms for doubles. Luge...

 and skeleton
Skeleton (sport)
Skeleton is a fast winter sliding sport in which an individual person rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down, during which athletes experience forces up to 5g. It originated in St. Moritz, Switzerland as a spin-off from the popular British sport of Cresta Sledding...

 located in Schönau am Königsee
Schönau am Königsee
Schönau am Königsee is a municipality in the district of Berchtesgadener Land in the German state of Bavaria. It is located at the northern end of the Königssee lake....

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. It is located near Königssee
Königssee
The Königssee is a lake located in the extreme southeast Berchtesgadener Land district of the German state of Bavaria, near the border with Austria...

 (German for "King's Lake"). Completed in 1968, it is the first permanent, artificially refrigerated
Refrigeration
Refrigeration is a process in which work is done to move heat from one location to another. This work is traditionally done by mechanical work, but can also be done by magnetism, laser or other means...

 bobsleigh
Bobsleigh
Bobsleigh or bobsled is a winter sport in which teams of two or four make timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sled that are combined to calculate the final score....

, luge
Luge
A Luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine and feet-first. Steering is done by flexing the sled's runners with the calf of each leg or exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh 21-25 kilograms for singles and 25-30 kilograms for doubles. Luge...

, and skeleton
Skeleton (sport)
Skeleton is a fast winter sliding sport in which an individual person rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down, during which athletes experience forces up to 5g. It originated in St. Moritz, Switzerland as a spin-off from the popular British sport of Cresta Sledding...

 track in the world.

History

In 1967, Königssee hosted the European luge championships
FIL European Luge Championships 1967
The FIL European Luge Championships 1967 took place in Königssee, West Germany. It was the first time the championships were held after being cancelled from 1963 to 1966.-Men's singles:-Women's singles:-Men's doubles:-Medal table:-References:...

 on a natural
Natural
Natural is an adjective that refers to Nature.Natural may refer too:In science and mathematics:* Natural transformation, category theory in mathematics* Natural foods...

ly refrigerated track. Later that year, it was decided to construct a permanent, reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...

 structure that was artificially refrigerated. The track, initially for luge, was completed in 1968. The first international competition took place the following year with the FIL World Luge Championships
FIL World Luge Championships 1969
The FIL World Luge Championships 1969 took place in Königssee, West Germany. It marked the first time the event took place on a permanent, artificially refrigerated track in bobsleigh, luge, and/ or skeleton.-Men's singles:-Women's singles:...

 On 3–4 December 1977, the track hosted the first Luge World Cup event won by Paul Hildgartner
Paul Hildgartner
Paul Hildgartner is an Italian of German descent former luger who competed from the early 1970s to the late 1980s. Competing in five Winter Olympics, he earned two gold medals and one silver medal for his efforts...

 (Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 - men's singles), Andrea Fendt
Andrea Fendt
Andrea Fendt is a West German luger who competed during the 1970s. She won the silver medal in the women's singles event at the 1978 FIL World Luge Championships in Imst, Austria....

 (West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....

 - women's singles), and Italy's Peter Gschnitzer
Peter Gschnitzer
Peter Gschnitzer was an Italian luger who competed during the late 1970s and early 1980s. He won the silver medal in the men's doubles event at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York....

 and Karl Brunner
Karl Brunner (luge)
Karl Brunner was an Italian luger who competed from the early 1970s to the mid 1980s. He won the silver medal in the men's doubles event at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York....

 (men's doubles). Bobsleigh was added to the track in the 1970s in time for the track to host their sports' championship event
FIBT World Championships
The FIBT World Championships, part of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing , have taken place on an annual basis in non-Winter Olympic years since 1930. A two-man event was included in 1931 with a combined championship occurring in 1947...

 in 1979
FIBT World Championships 1979
The FIBT World Championships 1979 took place in Königssee, West Germany. It was the first championships that took place on an artificially refrigerated track...

, the first time any track would host both bobsleigh and luge
FIL World Luge Championships 1979
The FIL World Luge Championships 1979 took place in Königssee, West Germany for a record fourth time. Königssee had hosted the event previously in 1969, 1970, and 1974...

 in the same year in a non-Winter Olympic year (The track in Igls
Igls bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track
The Olympic Sliding Centre Innsburck is a venue for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton located in Igls, Austria . The most recent version of the track was completed in 1975 and is the first permanent, combination artificially refrigerated bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track, serving as a model for other...

, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

 was the first to do this at the 1976 Winter Olympics
1976 Winter Olympics
The 1976 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated February 4–15, 1976 in Innsbruck, Austria...

 in Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...

.). Skeleton competitions began in the late 1970s, hosting the world championships in 1990
FIBT World Championships 1990
The FIBT World Championships 1990 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland and Königssee, West Germany . St. Moritz hosted a championship event for the record seventeenth time...

. The track was part of Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...

, Austria's unsuccessful bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics
2014 Winter Olympics
The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially the XXII Olympic Winter Games, or the 22nd Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event scheduled to be celebrated from 7 to 23 February 2014, in Sochi, Russia with some events held in the resort town of Krasnaya Polyana. Both the Olympic and...

 in 2007. In October 2008, it was announced that the track would undergo a renovation project from 2010 to 2016. Costing
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

 21.7 million to do, the track is being done in part of Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...

's bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics
2018 Winter Olympics
The 2018 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXIII Olympic Winter Games, is a winter multi-sport event scheduled to take place in Pyeongchang, South Korea, between 9 and 25 February 2018. The elected host city was announced on 6 July 2011 by the International Olympic Committee , after the...

. Renovation includes extending the finish line and a new building near turn 16 and is scheduled to be complete by 2012. The starting area of the track will be started on 2014 and will finish on 2016. On 28 February 2009, it was announced the track would host the 2011 FIBT World Championships
FIBT World Championships 2011
The FIBT World Championships 2011 takes place from 14 February 2011 until 27 February in Königssee, Germany for the fifth time, doing so previously in 1979, 1986, and 1990 , and 2004...

 after the original winner, Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo is a town and comune in the southern Alps located in Veneto, a region in Northern Italy. Located in the heart of the Dolomites in an alpine valley, it is a popular winter sport resort known for its ski-ranges, scenery, accommodations, shops and après-ski scene...

, withdrew to issues with the city and the track
Eugenio Monti track
The Eugenio Monti track is a bobsleigh and skeleton track located in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. It is named after Eugenio Monti , who won six bobsleigh medals at the Winter Olympic Games between 1956 and 1968 and ten medals at the FIBT World Championships between 1957 and 1966...

. The 29th and last Luge World Cup at the track prior to renovation took place on 2–3 January 2010. Bobsleigh and Skeleton had their last World Cup prior to renovation the following weekend.

Track renovation was done during the rest of 2010. At the end of March 2010, the Turbodrom Kreisel turn caught fire following some welding
Welding
Welding is a fabrication or sculptural process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence. This is often done by melting the workpieces and adding a filler material to form a pool of molten material that cools to become a strong joint, with pressure sometimes...

 work and was badly damaged. Refrigeration of the renovation plant was carried out in December 2010 with ammonia
Ammonia
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . It is a colourless gas with a characteristic pungent odour. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to food and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or...

 being pumped in on the 18th. Olympic champion Felix Loch
Felix Loch
Felix Loch is a German luger and Olympic champion. He has been competing since 1995 and has been on the German national team since 2006. He won five medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with four golds and one silver...

 made the first run on the luge part of the track on the 23rd in time for the World Cup event on 5-6 January 2011. The renovation was also done for the 2011 FIBT World Championships that took place in late February.

Statistics

Physical statistics
Sport Length (meters) Turns Grade
Luge - men's singles 1306 16 10.35%
Skeleton 1185 12 9.20%
Bobsleigh 1240 13 9.30%
Luge - women's singles & men's doubles 1156 12 9.20%


The track has a vertical drop of 117 meters from the bobsleigh perspective.
Turns
Turn Number Name Reason named
2., 3. Eiskapelle German for "Ice chapel"
5., 6., 7., 8., 9. Schlangengrube/ S-Kombination German for "Snake pit"/ S-combination in (Four turns in quick succession without a straight (labyrinth
Labyrinth
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos...

))
13. Turbodrom 320-degree Kreisel
Kreisel
Kreisel is the name of a turn found on six bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton tracks around the world. This is a turn that moves the bobsled, luge, or skeleton around between 270 and 320 degrees around the circumference of the circle....

 (circular) curve.
16. Echowand German for "Echo wall".
17., 18. Zielhaus German for "Finish house".


Turns 1, 4, 10, 11, 12, 14 and 15 have no names listed in the track diagram.
Track records (All from unless noted.)
Sport Record Nation - athlete(s) Date Time (seconds)
Bobsleigh - two-man Start - Beat Hefti
Beat Hefti
Beat Hefti is a Swiss bobsledder who has competed since the late 1990s. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won a total of three bronze medals ....

 & Thomas Lamparter
Thomas Lamparter
Thomas Lamparter is a Swiss bobsledder who has competed since 2002. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won a bronze medal in the four-man event at Turin in 2006....

10 January 2009 4.80
Bobsleigh - two-man Track - André Lange
André Lange
André Lange is a retired German bobsledder and the most successful bob pilot of all time who competed at senior level from 1998 to 2010. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he has won four gold medals. He was born in Ilmenau, Thuringia....

 & Kevin Kuske
Kevin Kuske
Kevin Kuske is a German bobsledder who has competed since 1999. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he has four gold medals and one silver medal....

9 January 2010 49.00
Bobsleigh - two-woman Start - Kaillie Humphries
Kaillie Humphries
Kaillie Humphries is a Canadian bobsledder. Humphries has competed since 2004 and currently slides with Heather Moyse as her brakeman...

 & Heather Moyse
Heather Moyse
Heather Moyse is a Canadian athlete, representing Canada in international competition as a bobsledder and rugby union player, and competing at the Canadian intercollegiate level in rugby, soccer and track and field.-Awards:...

9 January 2010 5.25
Bobsleigh - two-woman Track - Cathleen Martini
Cathleen Martini
Cathleen Martini is a German bobsledder who has competed since 2000. She won four medals in the two-woman event at the FIBT World Championships with two silvers and two bronzes ....

 & Romy Logsch
Romy Logsch
Romy Logsch is a German bobsledder who has competed since 2006. -Career:She won two gold medals in the two-woman event at the FIBT World Championships, earning them in 2007 and 2008...

9 January 2010 50.37
Bobsleigh - four-man Start - André Lange
André Lange
André Lange is a retired German bobsledder and the most successful bob pilot of all time who competed at senior level from 1998 to 2010. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he has won four gold medals. He was born in Ilmenau, Thuringia....

, Kevin Kuske
Kevin Kuske
Kevin Kuske is a German bobsledder who has competed since 1999. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he has four gold medals and one silver medal....

, Udo Lehmann
Udo Lehmann
Udo Lehmann is a German bobsledder who competed from 1994 to 2004. He won two medals in the four-man event at the FIBT World Championships with a gold in 2004 and a bronze in 1995.-References:**...

, & René Hoppe
René Hoppe
René Hoppe is a German bobsledder who has competed since 1998. At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, he won a gold medal in the four-man event with teammates Kevin Kuske, André Lange, and Martin Putze....


- Martin Annen
Martin Annen
Martin Annen is a bobsledder who competed from 1996 to 2006. Competing in two Winter Olympics, Annen won a total of three bronze medals ....

, Thomas Lamparter
Thomas Lamparter
Thomas Lamparter is a Swiss bobsledder who has competed since 2002. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won a bronze medal in the four-man event at Turin in 2006....

, Beat Hefti
Beat Hefti
Beat Hefti is a Swiss bobsledder who has competed since the late 1990s. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won a total of three bronze medals ....

, & Cedric Grand
Cedric Grand
Cédric Grand is a Swiss bobsledder who competed from 1997 to 2010. Competing in four Winter Olympics, he won a bronze medal in the four-man event at Turin in 2006....

28 February 2004
15 January 2006
4.78
Bobsleigh - four-man Track - André Lange
André Lange
André Lange is a retired German bobsledder and the most successful bob pilot of all time who competed at senior level from 1998 to 2010. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he has won four gold medals. He was born in Ilmenau, Thuringia....

, Kevin Kuske
Kevin Kuske
Kevin Kuske is a German bobsledder who has competed since 1999. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he has four gold medals and one silver medal....

, René Hoppe
René Hoppe
René Hoppe is a German bobsledder who has competed since 1998. At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, he won a gold medal in the four-man event with teammates Kevin Kuske, André Lange, and Martin Putze....

, & Alexander Metzger
3 February 2008 48.38
Luge - men's singles Start David Möller
David Möller
David Möller is a German luger who has competed since 2001. He won six medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with four golds , one silver , and one bronze Möller also won four medals at the FIL European Luge Championships with one gold , one silver...

 & Jan Eichhorn
Jan Eichhorn
Jan-Armin Eichhorn is a German luger who has competed since 1999. He won the bronze medal in the men's singles event at the 2007 FIL World Luge Championships in Igls, Austria....

 - both
6 January 2008 3.229
Luge - men's singles Track Albert Demtschenko
Albert Demtschenko
Albert Demtschenko is a Russian luger who has competed since 1992. A six-time Winter Olympian, he finally won his first medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin with a silver in the men's singles event...

 -
3 January 2010 47.049
Luge - women's singles Start Silke Kraushaar
Silke Kraushaar
Silke Kraushaar-Pielach is a German luger who competed from 1995 to 2008...

 -
8 January 2005 2.962
Luge - women's singles Track Tatjana Hüfner
Tatjana Hüfner
Tatjana Hüfner is a German luger who is the current Olympic Champion and has competed since 2003. She won the bronze medal in the women's singles at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin...

 -
5 January 2008 47.262
Luge - men's doubles Start - Tobias Wendl
Tobias Wendl
Tobias Wendl is a German luger who has competed since the 2000s. He won a silver medal in the men's doubles event at the 2008 FIL World Luge Championships in Oberhof, Germany....

 & Tobias Arlt
Tobias Arlt
Tobias Arlt is a German luger who has competed since the 2000s. He won a silver medal in the men's doubles event at the 2008 FIL World Luge Championships in Oberhof, Germany....

2 January 2010 2.847
Luge - men's doubles Track - Patric Leitner
Patric Leitner
Patric-Fritz Leitner is a German luger who competed from 1998 to 2010. Together with Alexander Resch he won the men's doubles event at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, United States. They also competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics, finishing sixth...

 & Alexander Resch
Alexander Resch
Alexander Resch is a German luger who competed from 1998 to 2010. Together with Patric Leitner, he won the men's doubles event at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, United States. They also competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics, finishing sixth...

5 January 2008 46.921
Skeleton - men Start Alexander Tretiakov
Alexander Tretiakov
Alexander Vladimirovich Tretiakov is a Russian skeleton racer who has competed since 2004. He won a bronze medal in the men's skeleton event at the FIBT World Championships 2009 in Lake Placid....

 -
2 February 2008 4.56
Skeleton - men Track Frank Rommel
Frank Rommel
Frank Rommel is a German skeleton racer who has competed since 2002. He won two medals at the FIBT World Championships with a gold in the mixed team and a bronze in the men's skeleton event 2008....

 -
9 January 2009 47.44
Skeleton - women Start Lindsay Alcock
Lindsay Alcock
Lindsay Alcock is a Canadian skeleton racer who has competed since 1998. She won a silver medal in the women's skeleton event at the 2004 FIBT World Championships in Königssee....

 -
28 February 2004 4.96
Skeleton - women Track Melissa Hollingsworth - 8 January 2010 48.78

Championships hosted

  • FIBT World Championships
    FIBT World Championships
    The FIBT World Championships, part of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing , have taken place on an annual basis in non-Winter Olympic years since 1930. A two-man event was included in 1931 with a combined championship occurring in 1947...

    : 1979
    FIBT World Championships 1979
    The FIBT World Championships 1979 took place in Königssee, West Germany. It was the first championships that took place on an artificially refrigerated track...

    , 1986
    FIBT World Championships 1986
    The FIBT World Championships 1986 took place in Königssee, West Germany for the second time, having hosted the event previously in 1979.-Two man bobsleigh:-Four man bobsleigh:-Medal table:-References:**...

    , 1990
    FIBT World Championships 1990
    The FIBT World Championships 1990 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland and Königssee, West Germany . St. Moritz hosted a championship event for the record seventeenth time...

     (men's skeleton), 2004
    FIBT World Championships 2004
    The FIBT World Championships 2004 took place in Königssee, Germany for the fourth time, doing so previously in 1979, 1986, and 1990 . This marked the first time all the events were in a single location at the championships since the 1996 event in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.-Two man:-Four man:-Two...

     (all bobsleigh and skeleton events), 2011
    FIBT World Championships 2011
    The FIBT World Championships 2011 takes place from 14 February 2011 until 27 February in Königssee, Germany for the fifth time, doing so previously in 1979, 1986, and 1990 , and 2004...

  • FIL European Luge Championships: 1967
    FIL European Luge Championships 1967
    The FIL European Luge Championships 1967 took place in Königssee, West Germany. It was the first time the championships were held after being cancelled from 1963 to 1966.-Men's singles:-Women's singles:-Men's doubles:-Medal table:-References:...

     (As a natural track.), 1972
    FIL European Luge Championships 1972
    The FIL European Luge Championships 1972 took place in Königssee, West Germany for the second time after previously hosting the event in 1967. It also marked the first time the event took place a permanent artificially refrigerated track which opened in early 1969.-Men's singles:-Women's...

    , 1973
    FIL European Luge Championships 1973
    The FIL European Luge Championships 1973 took place in Königssee, West Germany for the second consecutive year and third time overall .-Men's singles:-Women's singles:-Men's doubles:-Medal table:-References:***...

    , 1977
    FIL European Luge Championships 1977
    The FIL European Luge Championships 1977 took place in Königssee, West Germany for a record fourth time after hosting the event previously in 1967, 1972, and 1973.-Men's singles:-Women's singles:-Men's doubles:-Medal table:-References:***...

    , 1988
    FIL European Luge Championships 1988
    The FIL European Luge Championships 1988 took place in Königssee, West Germany for a record fifth time after hosting the event previously in 1967, 1972, 1973, and 1977...

    , 1994
    FIL European Luge Championships 1994
    The FIL European Luge Championships 1994 took place in Königssee, Germany for a record sixth time after hosting the event previously in 1967, 1972, 1973, 1977, and 1988.-Men's singles:-Women's singles:-Men's doubles:-Mixed team:-Medal table:...

  • FIL World Luge Championships: 1969
    FIL World Luge Championships 1969
    The FIL World Luge Championships 1969 took place in Königssee, West Germany. It marked the first time the event took place on a permanent, artificially refrigerated track in bobsleigh, luge, and/ or skeleton.-Men's singles:-Women's singles:...

    , 1970
    FIL World Luge Championships 1970
    The FIL World Luge Championships 1970 took place in Königssee, West Germany. It is the only time that the championships have been held in the same location in consecutive years.-Men's singles:-Women's singles:-Men's doubles:-Medal table:...

    , 1974
    FIL World Luge Championships 1974
    The FIL World Luge Championships 1974 took place in Königssee, West Germany for a record third time. Königssee had hosted the event previously in 1969 and 1970.-Men's singles:-Women's singles:-Men's doubles:-Medal table:-References:***...

    , 1979
    FIL World Luge Championships 1979
    The FIL World Luge Championships 1979 took place in Königssee, West Germany for a record fourth time. Königssee had hosted the event previously in 1969, 1970, and 1974...

    , 1999
    FIL World Luge Championships 1999
    The FIL World Luge Championships 1999 took place in Königssee, Germany for a record fifth time. Königssee had hosted the event previously in 1969, 1970, 1974, and 1979...


External links

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