Bobsledding may be known for icy tracks and blistering speeds, but the real work starts long before athletes ever touch the ice.
Invented in the 1860s, bobsledding combines explosive sprinting, precise timing and flawless execution, with competitors launching themselves into a sled before racing down the track at nearly 90 miles an hour.
To see just how difficult that process is, KPRC 2’s Justin Stapleton joined Olympic bobsledder Dr. Seun Adigun for a hands-on training session at the University of Houston track.
Dr. Adigun, who competed in track before transitioning to bobsledding after the 2012 Summer Olympics, broke down the fundamentals of the start from sprint mechanics to the split-second movements required to load into the sled.
“You go one, two, three, hit the sled, run, run, run, then jump in,” she explained.
Justin quickly learned that even dry-land training leaves little room for mistakes, with body position, timing and coordination all playing critical roles.
Now imagine doing all of that on ice, at full speed, while steering a sled through a winding track.
“It’s anything but easy,” Stapleton said after multiple attempts. “There’s zero room for error.”
For bobsledders, success depends on mastering the smallest details — because once the sled starts moving, there’s no turning back.