Canada Olympic Park bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track

History

In 1981, Calgary was awarded the 1988 Winter Olympics over Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo. The track was constructed on a fast-track program running from fall 1984 to spring 1986. This was done with the help of East German technology and a consulting firm from Canada.). During the 1988 Winter Olympics, the bobsleigh team from Jamaica debuted at these games, but crashed out during the third run of the four-man event. The story of the team would later be part of the 1993 film Cool Runnings with scenes done at the track. Skeleton was introduced to the track in the late 1980s with the track hosting the FIBT World Championships for skeleton in 1992. An indoor iced push facility near the track opened up in 2001. When competition does not occur on the track, it offers programs for bobsleigh and luge open to the public.

On 5 February 2019, WinSport (the operator of the track) announced that due to an $8 million CAD funding shortfall, the track would cease operations after the completion of the IBSF World Cup that year. On 3 March 2019, the track closed indefinitely, pending the funding of a $25 million CAD renovation. While the sliding facilities have closed for winter operations (due to the refrigeration system needing total replacement), the track would still be available for summer training and tourism, and the Ice House would remain open.[[File:Calgary Olympic Park Bobsleigh Luge Skeleton Track.svg|thumb|507x507px|Map of the Calgary Olympic Park Bobsleigh, Luge, & Skeleton Track]]

Track technical details

Costing C$ 27 million to complete, the track consisted of 48 reinforced concrete sections with five separate starting points. The facility is designed of that like a tuning fork with separate bobsleigh and luge start houses, selected to lessen construction and maintenance costs. The two portions of the track merge at turn five prior to the Omega combination curve. Lined with 100 km of refrigeration coolant, the track can hold ice at air temperatures up to 20 deg C (68 deg F). Sunscreens were installed on curves directly exposed to the sunlight to keep the track smooth and prevent melting. Electronic timing systems include double photo sensors at the start and finish positions of the track and artificial lighting is used to allow for night runs on the track. Lighting was adjusted at the request of the host television broadcaster (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) prior to the games to ensure proper video coverage for the 1988 games.

Renovation

On 5 April 2017 a $20 million CAD renovation was announced as part of WinSport's ongoing intention to operate the track in addition to Calgary's potential bid for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Despite a referendum rejecting Calgary's 2026 bid and subsequent closure of the track, WinSport announced renovations will begin and proceed as funding becomes available. On 9 October 2019 the first phase of the renovation project for the track began with the demolition of the bobsleigh/skeleton start portion of the track (curves 1–5). The bobsleigh/skeleton start is being removed to reduce operating costs and make the track more exciting for those athletes who will now start on the luge portion of the track. Until the renovation of the track is complete—including the replacement of the entire refrigeration system, the track will remain closed. Demolition of the track was completed by December 2021.

Statistics

Men's start at the tower start house (currently demolished) at the top of the track while the women's is at the regular start house at the top of the track.

The turn names were initially given during the 1988 Winter Olympic broadcast (ABC in the United States). All curves shown are bobsleigh curves. The luge section joins the bobsleigh and skeleton section at turn five. Turns 1 through 5 do not have turn names.

Championships hosted

• 1988 Winter Olympics
• FIBT World Championships: 1992 (skeleton), 2001 (Women's bobsleigh, men's and women's skeleton), 2005
• FIL World Luge Championships: 1990, 1993, 2001

Incidents and accidents

6 February 2016 - In the early hours of the morning of 6 February, 8 teenagers broke into the Canada Olympic Park's track and, using toboggans, began a slide down from the Bobsleigh start. At turn 5, the teens struck a large track switching element that had been used to configure the track for Luge. The impact with the track switch and the chains holding it in place resulted in death for two of the teens, and serious injuries to the other 6. In November, 2018 a provincial court judge who had been leading an investigation into the incident ruled it to be an accident. The judge also recommended a slew of security enhancements (including: motion-triggered alarms and lights, better signage and barriers, and more effective training of staff) to help prevent another incident of this nature—several of which WinSport had already adopted prior to the ruling.

References

References

1. (November 2018)
2. [http://www.gamesbids.com/english/archives/past.shtml Gamesbids.com archives of past awards of Olympic Games.] - accessed January 30, 2008
3. [http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1988/orw1988pt1.pdf 1988 Winter Olympics official report. Part 1.] {{Webarchive. link. (2011-01-14 pp. 114-9. {{in lang). en. fr - accessed February 10, 2008.
4. It was the first combined track in [[North America]] and only the second of its type on the continent ([[Lake Placid, New York]] in the [[United States]] bobsleigh and luge tracks were separate when Calgary's construction was completed in spring 1986 though the Lake Placid track would be rebuilt as a combination track in January 2000.[http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1980/orw1980v1.pdf 1980 Winter Olympic Games official report - Volume 1.] {{Webarchive. link. (2011-08-13 pp. 57-66. {{in lang). en. fr
5. [http://www.goodwillgames/2000/2000_venuesMtVanHoev.html List of venues on Mt. Van Hoevenberg for the 2000 Winter Goodwill Games]{{Dead link. (November 2018)
6. [http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1988/orw1988pt2.pdf 1988 Winter Olympic official report. Part 2.] {{Webarchive. link. (2012-02-12 pp. 564-66.)
7. [http://www.todor66.com/olim/1988w/Bobsleigh_Fours.html 1988 bobsleigh four-man results]
8. [http://www.jambob.com/html/frameset.html Jamaican bobsleigh team history] {{Webarchive. link. (2008-02-09 - accessed February 10, 2008.)
9. [http://sports123.com/ske/mw.html FIBT men's skeleton world championships results since 1989] {{webarchive. link. (September 29, 2007)
10. [http://www.albertaskeleton.ca/Pages/Track.html Alberta Skeleton information on the Calgary track] {{Webarchive. link. (2006-10-08 - accessed February 6, 2008])
11. [http://www.canadaolympicpark.ca/Home/LessonsAndPrograms.asp#Luge_Rides Canada Olympic Park lessons and programs featuring bobsleigh and luge rides] {{Webarchive. link. (2008-02-16 - accessed February 10, 2008.)
12. (2019-03-04). "Calgary's Olympic sledding track closes, possibly for the last time {{!}} CTV News".
13. (2019-02-05). "Calgary luge, bobsleigh upgrade projects shelved due to funding issues: WinSport - Calgary {{!}} Globalnews.ca".
14. (5 April 2017). "$20M renovation will dramatically change Calgary's bobsled and luge track". The Canadian Press.
15. "Renovations underway at Calgary's WinSport despite funding uncertainty".
16. Sidhu, Ina. (2019-10-09). "Renovation work begins on bobsleigh track at WinSport".
17. "Luge - men's singles" coverage. ''1988 Winter Olympics''. ABC Sports (United States). February 14, 1988.
18. [http://www.todor66.com/olim/1988w/Luge_Men_Singles.html 1988 luge men's singles results] - accessed February 10, 2008
19. From results shown from the FIL World cup event in Calgary during 20–21 November 2009 shown from the live track results.
20. [[FIBT World Championships 1996. link. (September 29, 2007)
21. [http://sports123.com/lug/mw-s.html FIL World Luge Championships men's single results since 1955] {{webarchive. link. (2007-12-18)
22. "Twin 17-year-old brothers killed in bobsled track accident, 6 other teens injured".
23. (2018-11-19). "Deaths of Caldwell brothers on Calgary bobsled track deemed an accident - Calgary {{!}} Globalnews.ca".