If you think downhill skiing is fast, luge takes speed to an entirely different level. Luge is the fastest sport in the Winter Olympics, combining blistering velocity, razor-sharp precision, and nerves of steel.
In luge, athletes lie flat on their backs on a small sled, feet stretched out in front of them, just inches above the ice. A run begins from a seated position at the top of the track, where lugers propel themselves forward by pulling on handles mounted on either side of the start ramp. Wearing spiked gloves, they dig into the ice for a powerful push before gravity takes over. Once underway, steering is done not with handlebars or brakes—there are none—but through incredibly subtle movements of the shoulders, calves, and feet. Racing sleds weigh between 46 and 55 pounds for singles and 55 to 66 pounds for doubles.
That minimal design is part of what makes luge so extreme. Athletes regularly reach speeds over 87 miles per hour, and the sleds have no mechanical brakes. The blades beneath a luge sled are sharper than those used in bobsleigh or skeleton, making them even more difficult to control. Success depends on maintaining total concentration while staying relaxed at high speed. The goal is to follow the perfect “line” down the track—any small mistake, even lightly brushing the wall, can cost precious time. Austrian luger Manuel Pfister once hit a staggering 96 miles per hour on the Whistler track in Canada ahead of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Luge is also one of the most precisely timed sports in the world. On artificial tracks, competitors race against the clock with times measured down to one millisecond. With margins that slim, consistency and control are everything.
Behind the scenes, lugers train as both physical and mental athletes. Physically, they need exceptional strength in the neck, upper body, abdomen, and thighs to withstand the intense G-forces generated in tight turns at high speeds. Strength training is critical, as is learning how to absorb the pounding delivered by the track when mistakes happen. With little protection beyond a helmet and visor, the sport demands toughness. Athletes even use wind tunnels to refine their aerodynamics, searching for any advantage that might shave fractions of a second off a run.
The word “luge” first appeared in 1905 and comes from a French term meaning “small coasting sled.” Sledding itself is ancient, with the first recorded sled races taking place in Norway as far back as the 15th century. Modern luge, along with skeleton and bobsleigh, developed in the mid-to-late 19th century in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Hotel entrepreneur Caspar Badrutt helped turn the town into a winter resort, attracting adventurous English guests who began adapting delivery sleds for recreation. Their high-speed rides through village streets were thrilling—but not always safe—often ending in collisions with pedestrians.
The first organized luge competition was held in Switzerland in 1883. Luge made its Olympic debut at the Winter Games in 1964. In the United States, adoption of the sport came more slowly. North America’s first luge run was built at Lolo Hot Springs, Montana, in 1965. The first artificial U.S. track followed at Lake Placid for the 1980 Winter Olympics. Another track was later constructed near Park City, Utah, for the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, helping fuel major growth in the U.S. luge program.
Today, there are five Olympic luge events: men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, a team relay, and—new this year—women’s doubles. The men’s and women’s singles competitions take place over two days and four runs, with two runs each day. Times for every run, measured to the hundredth of a second, are combined, and the fastest overall time wins.
Historically, Germany has dominated the sport, earning an incredible 87 of the 153 Olympic luge medals awarded. As luge events unfold at the Olympics today and tomorrow, athletes once again push the limits of speed, precision, and courage in one of the most thrilling sports on ice.