"Luge," which means "sled" in French, is an Olympic event in which sledders race along a steep, ice-covered track at speeds of up to 90 miles per hour!

The Rules of the Game
Lugers ride while lying on their backs, feet first, using their legs and shoulders to steer their sleds. Though luge is intense, relaxing is the key to speed because tense muscles can throw off one's direction.

Lugers are not disqualified for crashing, but they must cross the finish line while still in physical contact with their sleds. Men and women can compete as singles (with one person on each sled) or as doubles (with two people on each sled). The athlete or team who completes the course in the fastest total time after four singles runs or two doubles runs is the winner.

Every split-second counts since races can be won or lost by as little as a thousandth of a second! Along with short track speed skating, luge is the most precisely-timed event of the Winter Olympics. It made its Winter Olympic debut in 1964 at Innsbruck, Austria.

By Lauren Donahoo