Description: Luge is the French word for sled, and historical findings point to the existence of sleds, as early as AD 800 with the Vikings in the Slagen countryside near the Oslo Fjord. The Vikings are believed to have had sleds with two runners, which resemble the modern-day version. The first international sled race occurred in 1883 in Davos, Switzerland, with 21 competitors from Australia, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the... ( +expand to view full text )
Description: Luge is the French word for sled, and historical findings point to the existence of sleds, as early as AD 800 with the Vikings in the Slagen countryside near the Oslo Fjord. The Vikings are believed to have had sleds with two runners, which resemble the modern-day version. The first international sled race occurred in 1883 in Davos, Switzerland, with 21 competitors from Australia, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. This race took place over 4km and was won by Georg Robertson, a student from Australia, and Peter Minsch, a mailman from Klosters. Both finished the race in just over nine minutes.
The first World Championships occurred on an artificial track in Oslo in 1955. Two years later, the International Luge Federation (FIL) was founded in Davos and remains the governing body of luge today. Luge made its Olympic debut at the 1964 Games.
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