Skeleton Sledders Use Only Their Bodies to Steer While Traveling 80+ Miles per Hour on Ice

The 2026 Winter Olympics are in full swing, and there's one event that has people talking because it seemingly defies the laws of physics: the skeleton sled race. Folks who've seen athletes engage in this event have wondered: How do you even steer it?

If you've never seen these sleds, they're scary little apparatuses that don't offer much protection from the surfaces racers speed past on. Riders lie face down, just a few inches from the ground, on a chassis that has steel runners fastened to it.

Furthermore, the sleds aren't equipped with any internal steering mechanisms, and riders must lightly shift their own body weight while traveling 80 miles per hour, as they vie to get the fastest time down the track. Usually, these runs are completed on the same courses that bobsled and luge racers utilize during the Olympic Games.

Skeleton sleds aren't equipped with any brakes, and coordinators often help these athletes finally stop their runs. While luge and bobsled riders have their speeds reduced on tracks that usually end with a slight uphill run, skeleton sledders don't have the benefit of sitting up (as those in luges do) to get some wind resistance on their bodies.

Instead, skeleton sledders ram face-first into a huge foam blanket. At least that's what this clip from the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver shows.

As for how racers maneuver their sleds, the sleds are outfitted with customized saddles designed to snugly fit athletes' bodies.

This tight fit allows racers to have control over a sled's direction as they use parts of their bodies to control the speed and direction of these sleds, which are designed to move at rapid speeds. Gesticulating with their knees and shoulders can pivot where the sled is heading.

Furthermore, pressing into the sled's opposite corners can help aim it away from walls and into the center of the track. Tapping their toes on ice can also help these sledders gain faster track times, and protective equipment is quite minimal, considering how fast these athletes travel down the course.

Aerodynamics are the name of the game when it comes to skeleton sledding. The frames of the sleds are coated in fiberglass, which helps to bring the sled and racer's drag coefficient down. Moreover, bumpers are installed on the sleds to try to soften the impact of any collisions or hits with the walls of the track.

The steel runners are customized to work with different types of tracks. These metallic strips are generally selected based on the type of track that's being raced on, i.e., different materials will be selected for warmer racing conditions versus "colder climates."

However, these components must be IBSF-certified to ensure as level a playing field as possible. In addition to the sled, athletes must wear spiked shoes with a minimum of 300 spikes that can be no longer than 5mm with a diameter that cannot be greater than 1.5 mm.

These shoes are integral for helping racers get off the line and accrue enough speed for their downward descent. Again, since speed is paramount in these events, skeleton sledders strap on skin-tight suits, exposing themselves to serious harm in the event of a crash.

Sometimes, racers will choose to place padding in their outfits in order to protect themselves from harm, but many opt to leave this out to attain faster race times, as even milliseconds count toward their desire to nab a gold medal.

Additionally, the IBSF has a maximum weight limit for sleds and riders, so participants must ensure they aren't going over this limit or they can't compete. Finally, skeleton sledders must wear helmets with a face shield or visor, and they're often made of carbon fiber or polycarbonate.