About the sport In Skeleton, athletes ride sleds head first with their chin inches off the ice, reaching speeds of 85mph and pressures up to 5G. The sled has no brakes. Athletes control the sled with their head, shoulder, knees and toes. There are 16 tracks around the world with only 4 in North America. The tracks have 16 to 20 turns and are artifically refrigerated with the exception of one natural track in St. Moritz, Switzerland
The Federation of International Bobsleigh and Toboganning (FIBT) is the governing body for the sport of Bobsled and Skeleton. In 1923, the FIBT was formally constituted. According to the minutes of the FIBT Paris Congress in 1926, the International Olympic Committee declared bobsleigh and skeleton Olympic sports. This Congress decided to accept the skeleton rules of St. Moritz, Switzerland as valid for all competitions.