The bobsleigh events at the Winter Olympics in Beijing are into the final week – with bobsleigh taking over, but what does the brakeman actually do? How do you even steer a bobsleigh in the first place?
Along with skiing, bobsleigh is perhaps the most iconic Winter Olympic sport.
It is always one of the most popular events on the schedule taking its place as one of the three sliding events.
Luge and skeleton are now both over as bobsleigh guides the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics into the home straight.
But how on earth do you actually steer a bobsleigh?
What are the roles of the brakeman in the sled? Is it as simple as it seems?
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How to steer a bobsleigh
There is a little more involved in steering a bobsleigh than just pushing off, crossing your fingers and hoping for the best.
The athlete at the front of the sled is called the pilot and the one at the back in two man bobsleigh is the brakeman.
As the name might suggest, it is their job to control the bobsleigh and steer/drive it around the course.
How the pilot actually steers a bobsleigh is pretty simple to understand.
The steering mechanism is made of rope and bolts.
If you tug on the left rope, you’re going to go left, and it’s the right rope to go the other way.
The general idea is to stick in the middle of the course – as hitting the walls can cost precious time.
What the brakeman does
The jobs of the brakeman in the bobsleigh is what it says on the tin.
While the pilot is busy driving the thing down the course, the brakeman doesn’t have a lot to do.
It’s only at the end of the run that the brakeman is needed.
They sit at the rear of the sled, but just don’t wait until the end before going to work.
As the pilot is focused on getting from A to B, the brakeman can help provide feedback on the course/run to aid further attempts.
When the time comes, it the brakeman, who as you might have guessed, throws on the brakes to bring the sled to a gradual stop.
In four-man bobsleigh, the pilot and brakeman are joined by two pushers, who sit in the middle two seats.
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