Altenberg bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track
Altenberg bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track
Outdoor
Altenberg, Saxony, Germany
Ice
Altenberg Bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track, located in Altenberg, Germany is a venue for Ice sports such as bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton, constructed in 1983. It has hosted the FIBT World Championships in 1991, 1994, 2000 & 2008, FIL European Luge Championships in 2002 and FIL World Luge Championships in 1996 & 2012. The track supports Bobsleigh and Skeleton, Luge - men's and women’s singles and Luge - men's doubles, team relay and junior events.
Four refrigeration condensers power the track. There are a total of fifty sensors. Monitoring is done by closed-circuit television to enhance track security. The icing of the track starts in October, taking one week for eight workers to evenly ice the track at a temperature of -13°C. Some of the notable turns are Omega, Labyrinth, Kreisel, Zielkreisel and Brees hang.
Significance
- Its construction began in 1981. The access was restricted with armed patrols from the East German National People's Army and a wire fence.
- Refurbishment of the track as well as modernizing of electronics and refrigeration system was done for the World Luge Championships of 2012 which cost €1.4 million.
- The construction was completed by 1983 but with some glitches which lead to turns 11 and 12 being rebuilt.
- The track received homologation from the International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation (FIBT) in 1987.
- Men's skeleton started in 1992 whereas that of women’s in 1999.
- In 1997, women's single luge start house was built which was previously shared with the men's double luge start house from 1989 to 1996.
