Luge

winter sport · olympic · speed

Feet-first flying. Lugers lie on their backs on a small sled and race down a frozen track at speeds over 90 miles per hour, going headfirst into curves and straightaways.

Steering with muscles. Instead of using handles or brakes, lugers steer by flexing their calf muscles to tilt the sled's metal runners or by leaning their shoulders to one side.

Lightweight racers. A single-person luge sled weighs about 50 pounds, and a two-person sled weighs around 60 pounds, making them as light as possible so athletes can go super fast.

Starting from a push. Lugers begin seated at the starting line and push themselves forward by grabbing handles on either side of the ramp to get the sled moving before hitting the track.