St. Moritz-Celerina Olympic Bobrun
Encyclopedia
The St. Moritz-Celerina Olympic Bobrun (known officially as the Olympia Bobrun St. Moritz-Celerina) is a bobsleigh
piste located in St. Moritz
, Switzerland
. Constructed in 1903, it officially opened on New Year's Day
1904 and is the oldest bobsleigh track in the world and the only one that is naturally refrigerated
. It is also used for other sliding sports, including skeleton
and luge
.
who created bobsleigh. In 1897, the St. Moritz Bobsleigh Club
was created. Because of popularity of the sport, fund raising for a track begin which was completed in 1903 with CHF
11,000 raised. The track served as host to the bobsleigh events
for both the 1928
and the 1948 Winter Olympics
. Track modifications have been made several times since the 1948 games
, especially on the lower part of the track to meet the demands for higher speeds of the sleds and the increased braking issues after the end of the run. The Horse shoe curve, constructed of natural stones
, was strengthened and its height and radius increased during the winter of 1995 and 1996 with a second and final modification taking place in 1995. This was also important with the addition of tour guides to the track that began in 1973 in terms of the wear and tear on the ice. In 1972, the Dracula
Start House (Starthaus Dracula in ) was demolished and a new structure was created to meet the needs of the bobsleigh organizers with further renovations done in 1992, 1993, and 2002. The last additional modification took place in 2002 with the addition of a runoff after the Portago curve that lead to the Frizzoni's Finish lodge.
, which remain to this day.
workers from the Tyrol
region of Austria
and Italy a total of three weeks to construct the track using 5000 m3 of snow and 4000 m3 of water. Construction follows the entire length of the track from start to finish. Because it is a natural track, length and elevation changes occur annually during construction. Once construction is complete, the fifteen workers split up into respective sections to maintain their area during the season which is done every afternoon and can take up to four hours. Once the bobsleigh and skeleton season concludes in late February or early March, track dismantling begins and continues until the middle of June.
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....
piste located in St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Constructed in 1903, it officially opened on New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
1904 and is the oldest bobsleigh track in the world and the only one that is naturally 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...
. It is also used for other sliding sports, including 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...
and 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...
.
History
The track was initially created for winter guests from Great BritainGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
who created bobsleigh. In 1897, the St. Moritz Bobsleigh Club
St. Moritz Bobsleigh Club
The St. Moritz Bobsleigh Club, officially known as Bobclub St. Moritz is a club located in St. Moritz, Switzerland for members interested in bobsleigh and skeleton. Founded in 1897, it is the oldest of its type in the world...
was created. Because of popularity of the sport, fund raising for a track begin which was completed in 1903 with CHF
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
11,000 raised. The track served as host to the bobsleigh events
Bobsleigh at the Winter Olympics
Bobsleigh has been contested at the Winter Olympic Games since the first Winter Games in 1924, with the exception of the 1960 games in Squaw Valley when the organizing committee decided not to build a track in order to reduce expenses. Other than that exception, the four-man competition has been...
for both the 1928
Bobsleigh at the 1928 Winter Olympics
At the 1928 Winter Olympics, only one bobsleigh event was contested, the five man event. The competition was held on Saturday, February 18, 1928.-Medalists:-Results:-Participating nations:...
and the 1948 Winter Olympics
Bobsleigh at the 1948 Winter Olympics
At the 1948 Winter Olympics, two bobsleigh events were contested. The two-man competition was held on Friday, January 30, 1948 and on Saturdayday, January 31, 1948 while the four-man competition was held on Friday, February 6, 1948 and on Saturday, February 7, 1948.-Medal summary:-Participating...
. Track modifications have been made several times since the 1948 games
1948 Winter Olympics
The 1948 Winter Olympics, officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated in 1948 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The Games were the first to be celebrated after World War II; it had been twelve years since the last Winter Games in 1936...
, especially on the lower part of the track to meet the demands for higher speeds of the sleds and the increased braking issues after the end of the run. The Horse shoe curve, constructed of natural stones
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
, was strengthened and its height and radius increased during the winter of 1995 and 1996 with a second and final modification taking place in 1995. This was also important with the addition of tour guides to the track that began in 1973 in terms of the wear and tear on the ice. In 1972, the Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
Start House (Starthaus Dracula in ) was demolished and a new structure was created to meet the needs of the bobsleigh organizers with further renovations done in 1992, 1993, and 2002. The last additional modification took place in 2002 with the addition of a runoff after the Portago curve that lead to the Frizzoni's Finish lodge.
Current track turns and length
The track, with 14 named curves, is 1,722 meters long with an elevation difference of 130 meters and an average grade of 8.14%. The curves were given their names by the BritishGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, which remain to this day.
| Turn Number | Name | Reason named | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | (Start) | Start at the start house "Dracula Dracula Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor... ", after founder of the Dracula Club created by current St. Moritz Bobsleigh Club president Gunter Sachs Gunter Sachs Fritz Gunter Sachs was a German photographer, author, industrialist, and latterly head of an institute that researched claims of astrology. As a young man he became a sportsman, then gained international fame as a documentary film-maker and documentary photographer... . |
|||
| 2. | Wall Corner | After a wall used to support the bobsleigh and skeleton turn. | |||
| 3. | Snake Snake Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales... Corner |
Curvy like a snake. | |||
| 4. | Sunny Corner | Sunniest part of the track. | |||
| 4a. | Monti's Bolt | Named for Italian bobsledder Eugenio Monti Eugenio Monti Eugenio Monti was an Italian bobsledder. He is one of the most successful athletes in the history of this sport, with ten World championship medals and 6 Olympic medals, but is known also for an act of sportsmanship during the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria that made him the first... who, during the two-man event at the 1964 Winter Olympics Bobsleigh at the 1964 Winter Olympics -Two-man:A turn at the St. Moritz, Switzerland course is named in honor of Nash and Dixon, called the Nash-Dixon corner.-Four-man:The Canadian four-man bobsleigh team of Kirby, Anakin, and the Emery brothers upset the heavily favored Austrians.-Medal table:... in Innsbruck Innsbruck - Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus... , gave a bolt from his sled to British bobsledders Anthony Nash Anthony Nash (bobsleigh) Anthony "Tony" Nash is a British bobsledder who competed in the 1960s. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won the gold in the two-man event at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck.... and Robin Dixon Robin Dixon, 3rd Baron Glentoran Major Thomas "Robin" Valerian Dixon, 3rd Baron Glentoran CBE is a former British bobsledder and Northern Irish politician, known as Robin Dixon. He is a former Conservative Party Shadow Minister for the Olympics.... to repair their sled. Nash and Dixon would win gold in the event at those games. This turn serves as the start point to luge for the women's singles and men's doubles event. |
|||
| 5. | Nash-Dixon Corner | Named for British bobsledders Nash and Dixon, gold medalists in the two-man event at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, the only members of the St. Moritz Bobsleigh Club to ever do so. | |||
| 6. | Horse-Shoe Horseshoe A horseshoe, is a fabricated product, normally made of metal, although sometimes made partially or wholly of modern synthetic materials, designed to protect a horse's hoof from wear and tear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall... Corner |
Omega Omega Omega is the 24th and last letter of the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numeric system, it has a value of 800. The word literally means "great O" , as opposed to omicron, which means "little O"... curve shaped like a horse shoe. |
|||
| 7. | Telephone Telephone The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other... Corner |
Where the first track telephone was installed. | |||
| 8. | Shamrock Shamrock The shamrock is a three-leafed old white clover. It is known as a symbol of Ireland. The name shamrock is derived from Irish , which is the diminutive version of the Irish word for clover .... |
||||
| 9. | Devil Devil The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly... s Dyke Corner |
||||
| 10. | Tree Tree A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to... Corner |
There is a tree in the short wall of this corner | |||
| 11. | Bridge Bridge A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle... Corner |
As you exit this corner you can see the train bridge over the upcoming track | |||
| 12. | Leap LEAP Leap may refer to:* Jumping* Leap , a 2004 album by progressive jazz group Drop Trio* Leap , a melodic interval* Leap, County Cork, a village in Ireland* Leap, County Laois, a townland in County Laois, Ireland... |
||||
| 13. | Gunter Sachs Gunter Sachs Fritz Gunter Sachs was a German photographer, author, industrialist, and latterly head of an institute that researched claims of astrology. As a young man he became a sportsman, then gained international fame as a documentary film-maker and documentary photographer... Corner |
>- | 14. | Martineau | After Hubert de Martineau, a Major Major Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ... in the Swiss Army, who was president of the St. Moritz Bobsleigh Club from 1922 to 1969. |
| 15. | Portago Corner | After Alfonso de Portago Alfonso de Portago Alfonso Antonio Vicente Eduardo Angel Blas Francisco de Borja Cabeza de Vaca y Leighton, Marquis of Portago, best known as Alfonso de Portago was a racing driver from Spain.-Notable heritage:Portago was 6' tall and weighed 170 pounds . He was educated in France... (1929-57), who won the bronze medal for Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... in the two-man event at the 1957 FIBT World Championships FIBT World Championships 1957 The FIBT World Championships 1957 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland for the record eighth time. The Swiss city had hosted the event previously in 1931 , 1935 , 1937 , 1938 , 1939 , 1947, and 1955... held in St. Moritz only to die later that year during the Mille Miglia Mille Miglia The Mille Miglia was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 .... race in 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... . A foundation in his name was important in the renovation of the lower part of the track. |
|||
| 16. | (run-out) |
Track construction
The track construction begins around the middle of November and takes a crew of fifteen iceIce
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
workers from the Tyrol
Euroregion Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino
[Image:Tirol-Suedtirol-Trentino.png|thumb|Detailed map of the Euroregion, formed by the Austrian state of Tyrol and the Italian autonomous provinces of South Tyrol and Trentino.----...
region of 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...
and Italy a total of three weeks to construct the track using 5000 m3 of snow and 4000 m3 of water. Construction follows the entire length of the track from start to finish. Because it is a natural track, length and elevation changes occur annually during construction. Once construction is complete, the fifteen workers split up into respective sections to maintain their area during the season which is done every afternoon and can take up to four hours. Once the bobsleigh and skeleton season concludes in late February or early March, track dismantling begins and continues until the middle of June.
Track records
Because this is a natural track that is constructed and changed on an annual basis, there are no start records and track records.Championships hosted
- FIBT World ChampionshipsFIBT World ChampionshipsThe 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...
(record 21 times, 22 after 2012): 1931FIBT World Championships 1931The FIBT World Championships 1931 took place in Oberhof, Germany and in St. Moritz, Switzerland . Two-man bobsleigh made its debut.-Two man bobsleigh:-Four man bobsleigh:-Medal table:-References:**...
(four-man), 1935FIBT World Championships 1935The FIBT World Championships 1935 took place in Igls, Austria and in St. Moritz, Switzerland . St. Moritz hosted the four-man event previously in 1931.-Two man bobsleigh:-Four man bobsleigh:-Medal table:-References:**...
(four-man),, 1937FIBT World Championships 1937The FIBT World Championships 1937 took place in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy and in St. Moritz, Switzerland . St. Moritz hosted the four-man event previously in 1931 and 1935.-Two man bobsleigh:-Four man bobsleigh:...
(four-man), 1938FIBT World Championships 1938The FIBT World Championships 1938 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany . St. Moritz hosted the two-man event for the first time after hosting the four-man event previously in 1931, 1935, and 1937 while Garmisch-Partenkirchen hosted the four-man event previously...
(two-man), 1939FIBT World Championships 1939The FIBT World Championships 1939 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy . St. Moritz hosted the two-man event for the second time after hosting it previously in 1938, along with hosting the four-man event in 1931, 1935, and 1937. Cortina d'Ampezzo hosted the two-man...
(two-man), 1947FIBT World Championships 1947The FIBT World Championships 1947 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland for the record sixth time after hosting the event previously in 1931 , 1935 , 1937 , 1938 , and 1939...
, 1955FIBT World Championships 1955The FIBT World Championships 1955 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland for the record seventh time. The Swiss city had hosted the event previously in 1931 , 1935 , 1937 , 1938 , 1939 , and 1947....
, 1957FIBT World Championships 1957The FIBT World Championships 1957 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland for the record eighth time. The Swiss city had hosted the event previously in 1931 , 1935 , 1937 , 1938 , 1939 , 1947, and 1955...
, 1959FIBT World Championships 1959The FIBT World Championships 1959 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland for the record ninth time. The Swiss city had hosted the event previously in 1931 , 1935 , 1937 , 1938 , 1939 , 1947, 1955, and 1957....
, 1965FIBT World Championships 1965The FIBT World Championships 1965 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland for the record tenth time. The Swiss city had hosted the event previously in 1931 , 1935 , 1937 , 1938 , 1939 , 1947, 1955, 1957, and 1959....
, 1970FIBT World Championships 1970The FIBT World Championships 1970 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland for the record eleventh time. The Swiss city had hosted the event previously in 1931 , 1935 , 1937 , 1938 , 1939 , 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, and 1965.-Two man bobsleigh:The Swiss earned their first championships medal since...
, 1974FIBT World Championships 1974The FIBT World Championships 1974 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland for the record twelfth time. The Swiss city had hosted the event previously in 1931 , 1935 , 1937 , 1938 , 1939 , 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1965, and 1970.-Two man bobsleigh:-Four man bobsleigh:-Medal table:-References:**...
, 1977FIBT World Championships 1977The FIBT World Championships 1977 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland for the record thirteenth time. The Swiss city had hosted the event previously in 1931 , 1935 , 1937 , 1938 , 1939 , 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1965, 1970, and 1974.-Two man bobsleigh:-Four man bobsleigh:The East Germans earned...
, 1982FIBT World Championships 1982The FIBT World Championships 1982 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland for the record fourteenth time. The Swiss city had hosted the event previously in 1931 , 1935 , 1937 , 1938 , 1939 , 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1965, 1970, 1974, and 1977. The skeleton event debutted at the championships after...
, 1987FIBT World Championships 1987The FIBT World Championships 1987 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland for the record fifteenth time. The Swiss city had hosted the event previously in 1931 , 1935 , 1937 , 1938 , 1939 , 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1965, 1970, 1974, 1977, and 1982...
, 1989FIBT World Championships 1989The FIBT World Championships 1989 took place in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy and St. Moritz, Switzerland . Cortina hosted the championships for the eighth time, having hosted the event previously in 1937 , 1939 , 1950, 1954, 1960, 1966, and 1981. Meanwhile, St. Moritz hosted a championship event for...
(skeleton), 1990FIBT World Championships 1990The 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...
(bobsleigh), 1997FIBT World Championships 1997The FIBT World Championships 1997 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland and Lake Placid, New York, United States . St. Moritz hosted a championship event for the record eighteenth time...
(bobsleigh), 1998FIBT World Championships 1998The FIBT World Championships 1998 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland for the record nineteenth time. The Swiss city had hosted the event previously in 1931 , 1935 , 1937 , 1938 , 1939 , 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1965, 1970, 1974, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1989 , 1990 , and 1997...
(skeleton), 2001FIBT World Championships 2001The FIBT World Championships 2001 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland and Calgary, Alberta, Canada...
(men's bobsleigh),, 2007FIBT World Championships 2007The FIBT World Championships 2007 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland for the record twenty-first time, doing so previously in 1931 , 1935 , 1937 , 1938 , 1939 , 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1965, 1970, 1974, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1989 , 1990 , 1997 , 1998 , and 2001...
, and 2013FIBT World Championships 2013The FIBT World Championships 2013 will take place at the St. Moritz-Celerina Olympic Bobrun in St. Moritz, Switzerland for the record twenty-second time, after hosting the event previously in 1931 , 1935 , 1937 , 1938 , 1939 , 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1965, 1970, 1974, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1989 , 1990...
. - FIL World Luge Championships: 2000FIL World Luge Championships 2000The FIL World Luge Championships 2000 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland. This marked the only time since the 1981 world championships that the event has taken place on a naturally refrigerated track.-Men's singles:-Women's singles:-Men's doubles:...
External links
- FIBT track profile - Number of championships listed is incorrect on the webpage (Shows 17 when it is 21).
- Official website , , , &
- St. Moritz Bob Club official website