It sounds pretty simple on paper; athletes take a running start by dragging their sledges for about 50 meters and then leap onboard as the sledge hurtles down an icy track. The scariest part is that they do it headfirst!
Akwasi Frimpong Writes: Why skeleton racing demands so much from the body
To a lot of people, skeleton racing is one of the most terrifying sports in the Olympics.
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Skeleton: Not as Easy to Master as It Looks
To many avid Olympic watchers, skeleton has been a mystery ever since it made a comeback in the 2002 Games after being banned for 54 years.
The death-defying sport is not for the faint of heart, and can be quite taxing on the body. While it might look ‘throwing yourself down a hill,’ that’s a crude way of describing a race that’s much more complicated than that.
It requires extreme discipline and extensive training to be able to go downhill at an average speed of 90 miles per hour while staying only a couple of inches off the ground.
Building Up Speed
One of the most crucial parts of doing well at skeleton racing is building initial momentum. The running start athletes get is critical, as it can help them win a race that’s determined by just a few hundredths of a second!
The speed of the initial sprint can increase inertia and helps athletes race down the hill even faster. Skeleton racers are required to strengthen their hamstrings and train to push the sledge as fast as possible in a crouched position.
Using the Body as The Steering Mechanism
The only equipment used in skeleton is the sledge. It has no built-in steering mechanism, and the athletes are expected to change directions by shifting their bodies. Because of the speed and the length of the sledge, a slight shift can significantly alter the direction of the sledge.
Skeleton athletes are required to be flexible and have supreme control over even the tiniest bodily movements to steer properly. The goal is to go down the hill as fast as possible, and even the slightest shift can slow down the sledge.
Intrigued by the exhilarating sport that is skeleton racing? Check out my journey as the first black male skeleton racer from Africa, Akwasi Frimpong!
I represented Ghana in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games as a skeleton racer and I am determined to win Africa’s first Winter Olympic Games medal in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics!
Learn more about skeleton here!
This article was written by Ghanaian Skeleton athlete Akwasi Frimpong for Pulse Ghana.
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