Jurisdiction National Headquarters Australia | Founded 2013 (2013) | |
Sport Bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton Affiliation International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation | ||
Sliding Sports Australia is the governing body for the sport of bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton in Australia.
Contents
History
Australians have been active in ice sliding sports since the early days. Australian student George Robertson came equal first in the first international Luge race held in Davos, Switzerland in 1883. During the 1930s Australian Frederick McEvoy competed with the Great Britain team in bobsleigh to win several Olympic and World Championship medals.
This early success wavered after World War Two. When Australians started traveling to Europe in the early 1970s some thrill seekers where exposed to the sports of bobsleigh and skeleton. Leading the way for the new wave of Australian becoming interested in the sport was Philip Morgan Giles. Morgan Giles piloted the first Australian team to compete at a FIBT world championship in 2-man bobsleigh in 1974.
The Australian Bobsleigh Federation was established in 1985. This allowed Australia to become a recognized member of the Federation de Internationale Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT). This paved the way forward for Australian teams to compete in FIBT races and compete at the Olympic Games.
Australia has sent teams to seven Winter Olympics in bobsleigh.
Sliding Sports Australia was established in 2013 to govern the sports of bobsleigh and skeleton within Australia.
Structure
The national body for the sports of bobsleigh and skeleton.
Sliding Sports Australia is the recognized governing body for bobsleigh and skeleton for Australia with the FIBT.