The FIBT World Championships 1981 took place in Cortina d'Ampezzo,

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

for the seventh time, having hosted the event previously in 1937 (Two-man), 1939 (Four-man),

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 crashes in a snowstorm. All 19 ...

, 1954,

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, and 1966. Following the death of

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's Toni Pensperger at the track in 1966, numerous

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are two slightly dif ...

improvements were done at the track which were satisfactory enough for the

FIBT The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF), originally known by the French name ''Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing'' (FIBT), is the international sports federation for bobsleigh and skeleton. It acts as a ...

to allow the championships to be hosted. These improvements would not be enough as

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bobsled Bobsleigh or bobsled is a team winter sport that involves making timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sleigh. International bobsleigh competitions are governed by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Feder ...

der James Morgan was killed during the four-man event. The death of a stuntman on the track during the first day of filming of '' For Your Eyes Only'', done a week after these championships led track officials to shorten the track to its current configuration. Cortina would not host another championship until

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...

Two man bobsleigh

Four man bobsleigh

February 8, 1981

Medal table

References

2-Man bobsleigh World Champions
* ttp://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/movies/fyeo_production.php3?t=fueo&s=fyeo ''For Your Eyes Only'' production notes featuring the Cortina track {{Bobsleigh-Skeleton World Championships

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

1981 in Italian sport Sport in Cortina d'Ampezzo 1981 in bobsleigh International sports competitions hosted by Italy Bobsleigh in Italy