{"id":315,"date":"2025-05-06T13:43:36","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T12:43:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/?p=315"},"modified":"2025-05-06T13:43:37","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T12:43:37","slug":"luge-complete-guide-to-the-olympic-discipline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/luge-complete-guide-to-the-olympic-discipline\/","title":{"rendered":"Luge: Complete Guide to the Olympic Discipline"},"content":{"rendered":"<script type=\"text\/plain\" data-tcf=\"waiting-for-consent\" data-id=\"1033\" data-bid=\"1\" data-placement=\"1034\">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<\/script>\n<p><strong>What is Sledding?<\/strong><\/p><script type=\"text\/plain\" data-tcf=\"waiting-for-consent\" data-id=\"1037\" data-bid=\"1\" data-placement=\"726\">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<\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>Lo <strong>luge<\/strong> (in English <em>luge<\/em>) is a winter speed sport in which the athlete (or athletes) goes down an icy slope in a special sled, in a supine position with feet facing forward. It is among the fastest and most technical sports on the Olympic program, with speeds that can exceed the <strong>140 km\/h<\/strong>.<\/p><script type=\"text\/plain\" data-tcf=\"waiting-for-consent\" data-id=\"1033\" data-bid=\"1\" data-placement=\"985\">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<\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>It is governed globally by the <strong>FIL - F\u00e9d\u00e9ration Internationale de Luge de Course<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>History of Luge<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sledding originated in the Alps in the 19th century as an offshoot of winter transportation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>First Olympic appearance<\/strong>: Innsbruck 1964.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Italy has been a major player since the 1970s, with outstanding athletes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Olympic Disciplines of Luge.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Men's singles<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Women's single<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Men's doubles<\/strong> (also open to mixed teams)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Team Relay<\/strong>: introduced in Sochi 2014--a team race (men, women, doubles) with sequential start.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Sled<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Average weight: 20-30 kg.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Made of fiberglass, steel and titanium.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It has no mechanical steering system: it drives <strong>With the weight of the body, legs and shoulders<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How does a luge race take place?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Seated start<\/strong>, with manual momentum and then with the help of two handles.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The rider lies down fully and rides by exploiting leg\/shoulder pressure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The winner is the one who totals the <strong>lowest time adding up the heats<\/strong> (usually 2 for the individual, 1 in the relay).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Italy in the Luge<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Italy has a <strong>strong tradition<\/strong> in luge, especially with athletes from South Tyrol. Some iconic names:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Paul Hildgartner<\/strong> \ud83e\udd47: Olympic champion in 1984 (singles) and silver in 1980.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Norbert Huber and Hansj\u00f6rg Raffl<\/strong>: legend in doubles, silver medalist in Lillehammer 1994.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Gerda Weissensteiner<\/strong>: gold in Lillehammer 1994 in women's singles.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Armin Z\u00f6ggeler<\/strong> \ud83e\udd47: Italy's greatest luge athlete, two gold medals (2002, 2006) and <strong>Six medals in six consecutive Olympics<\/strong> - Absolute record in sports.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Leading Nations in Luge<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Germany<\/strong> \ud83c\udde9\ud83c\uddea: absolute dominance with athletes such as Georg Hackl, Felix Loch and Natalie Geisenberger.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Austria<\/strong> \ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddf9: always competitive in every specialty.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Italy<\/strong> \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf9: starred mainly in doubles and men's singles.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Latvia<\/strong> \ud83c\uddf1\ud83c\uddfb e <strong>Russia<\/strong> \ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddfa: emerged in recent years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tobogganing Slopes in the World<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sledding slopes (shared with bobsledding and skeleton) are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Altenberg, K\u00f6nigssee (GER)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Innsbruck (AUT)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sigulda (LAT)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Whistler (CAN)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cesana Pariol (ITA)<\/strong> - built for Turin 2006, not regularly active<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Requirements for a Luge Athlete.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Reactivity and body control<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Extreme sensitivity to trajectory<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Strength for departure<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cold mind<\/strong> To handle high-speed curves<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Olympic Luge: Upcoming Competitions and Appointments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>FIL World Cup<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>FIL World Championships<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics 2026<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Below we answer some questions asked by our readers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What is the maximum speed in luge?<\/strong><br>Up to 150 km\/h in the fastest sections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Is sledding dangerous?<\/strong><br>Yes. The athlete faces intense G forces and potentially serious impacts. Requires adequate preparation and protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Can the doubles be mixed?<\/strong><br>Technically yes, but historically it has always been male. From 2026 it will officially be \"open.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What is team relay?<\/strong><br>Each component (woman, man, double) starts as soon as the previous one cuts a sensor with its foot. It is one of the most spectacular races.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lo <strong>luge<\/strong> is a technical, fast and fascinating discipline, a symbol of extreme winter sport. Italy has written unforgettable pages of history in this discipline and looks forward with great expectations to <strong>Milan-Cortina 2026<\/strong>, where new generations will try to emulate the greats of the past.<\/p>\n<div class=\"amc-dopo-il-contenuto\" id=\"amc-3260856693\"><script type=\"text\/plain\" data-tcf=\"waiting-for-consent\" data-id=\"1033\" data-bid=\"1\">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<\/script><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cos&#8217;\u00e8 lo Slittino? Lo slittino (in inglese luge) \u00e8 uno sport invernale di velocit\u00e0 in cui l&#8217;atleta (o gli atleti) scende lungo una pista ghiacciata a bordo di una slitta speciale, in posizione supina e con i piedi rivolti in avanti. \u00c8 tra gli sport pi\u00f9 veloci e tecnici del programma olimpico, con velocit\u00e0 che [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport-olimpici"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=315"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":317,"href":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315\/revisions\/317"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}