Ice sledge racing is a

Paralympic sport The Paralympic sports comprise all the sports contested in the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. As of 2020, the Summer Paralympics included 22 sports and 539 medal events, and the Winter Paralympics include 5 sports and disciplines and about ...

where contestants use a lightweight

sledge A sled, skid, sledge, or sleigh is a land vehicle that slides across a surface, usually of ice or snow. It is built with either a smooth underside or a separate body supported by two or more smooth, relatively narrow, longitudinal runners s ...

and propel themselves using two poles. As a modern organized sport, it was available as a

between 1980–1988 and 1994–1998. It is contested using a speed skating rink with a circumference. The sport is contested in 100 metre, 500 metre, 700 metre, 1,000 metre, and 1,500 metre distances. A speed skating rink (or speed skating oval) is an

ice rink An ice rink (or ice skating rink) is a frozen body of water and/or an artificial sheet of ice created using hardened chemicals where people can ice skate or play winter sports. Ice rinks are also used for exhibitions, contests and ice shows. The ...

(a specific type of ''

sport venue A sports venue is a building, structure, or place in which a sporting competition is held. A stadium (plural: stadiums or stadia) or arena is a place or venue for sports or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely ...

'') in which a

speed skating Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in travelling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skati ...

competition is held.

History

This sport is seven centuries old. An ice sledge racing sled must be moved with sticks. In the past these sleds were made of wood with beautiful paintings. Today they are often made of aluminum or iron. There are several types of sleds, namely the sitting sled, the kneeling sled, the steering sled and the ice sledge hockey sled.

Paralympic program inclusion

In 1980 with the Paralympic winter games in Geilo Norway, ice sledge racing became a Paralympic sport. After the 1998 winter games in Nagano, ice sledge racing disappeared from the Paralympic program again. Despite the fact that the sport has been Paralympic, only mixed competitions are held in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, because able-bodied and disabled athletes both compete in ice sledge racing together. The events were held indoors for the first time at the 1994 Paralympics in Lillehammer.

History

Paralympic program inclusion

References

See also