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Original poster

Skeleton in the Winter Olympics

269 replies

likelysuspect · 13/02/2026 18:34

Gordon Bennett!!

Are they mad?

Its making me anxious watching them.

Im not sure Ive seen this before, not sure how Ive missed it

OP posts:
Soonenough · 13/02/2026 19:07

I love the subtle movements of their feet to steer high or low on the sides guessing that higher gives you more momentum. I noticed how young everyone is but competitors and audiences . Must be wild social side in the evening. Saw that the Olympic Village ran out of condoms after three days .
Guess it must be easier for British team to find a place to train than the Jamaican bobsled team.

dontcallmelen · 13/02/2026 19:06

TheClangyClunk · 13/02/2026 19:01

There was an awful crash in the women’s snowboarding half pipe thing yesterday, the first aiders had to ski down to help her and everything. Then she went on to do it again and win! They’re all absolute maniacs, hats off to them.

I watched that yesterday it was utter carnage couldn’t believe it when she went again & won the gold.

FordExplorer · 13/02/2026 19:06

There’s only ONE place in the UK where you can learn this particular sport. Not very inclusive!

NeverDropYourMooncup · 13/02/2026 19:05

sittingonabeach · 13/02/2026 18:59

It appears they train in that well known mountainous area, Bath university 😀

I've fallen down the slope of the grass amphitheatre whilst drunk there, never mind tried to walk back up towards the shop or navigate the hill the university sits on the top of. It's definitely risky terrain, especially with the pools full of giant Gunnera waiting to shred the intrepid student if they make it up the amphitheatre and head towards the dining hall instead.

tripleginandtonic · 13/02/2026 19:03

Yeet down headfirst on an ice track on a tea tray , of course they're mad. We do well at it though, mad dogs and English men.
Did you not see Lizzie Yarnold do it?

misscockerspaniel · 13/02/2026 19:02

Curling is bad enough - I absolutely know I would be tripping over the stones.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 13/02/2026 19:02

BennyHenny · 13/02/2026 18:49

How do you even get into this sport?! I’d give it a go but no idea where you’d even try it! 😂

Use your local 25% gradient hill after snow, rain and more snow. You won't reach the speeds they do, but you'll have some idea of what it's like to have your life flash before your eyes before knocking yourself out (and more likely live).

I was told once that this sort of milarky is encouraged by the Army. Clearly, the prospects of getting oneself shot or exploded on a Friday teatime isn't exciting enough for them, so they tend to encourage recruits to find alternative ways to self destruct during peacetime.

TheRuffleandthePearl · 13/02/2026 19:01

Favouritefruits · 13/02/2026 18:42

It’s frightening but how is it even a sport? It’s a big slide?

There is actually a lot of skill involved in steering the tea tray down the track without crashing and finding the fastest line. It might look like they are just passively sliding but they are working hard!

TheClangyClunk · 13/02/2026 19:01

There was an awful crash in the women’s snowboarding half pipe thing yesterday, the first aiders had to ski down to help her and everything. Then she went on to do it again and win! They’re all absolute maniacs, hats off to them.

singlepringle12 · 13/02/2026 19:00

likelysuspect · 13/02/2026 18:58

Yes, its giving me indigestion!!

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I’m also amazed by how bloody close it is, I don’t get how you can actually differentiate between 0.01 of a second, it’s so incredibly close!

RafaistheKingofClay · 13/02/2026 18:59

sittingonabeach · 13/02/2026 18:57

I’m sure I saw something years ago showing where they trained doing the getting on the tea tray thing with no ice in sight

I think it’s at university of Bath.

bookworm14 · 13/02/2026 18:59

Apparently there’s an ice-free track at the University of Bath that allows them to practise their starts, but they otherwise have to go abroad! www.teamgb.com/article/explained-skeleton/1EqVZTspZl7sEEJtVJBvsD

Iwouldlikesomecake · 13/02/2026 18:59

My friend does it- at university level there’s like ‘training camps’ where they take people good at sport and see if they’d be good at other random sports and that’s how she got into it. If you watch their uk training they don’t train on ice!

sittingonabeach · 13/02/2026 18:59

It appears they train in that well known mountainous area, Bath university 😀

Original poster
likelysuspect · 13/02/2026 18:58

singlepringle12 · 13/02/2026 18:56

It’s amazing! But fuck no I’m never trying it. My stomach is flipping as they go round the bends on their little tea tray!! Mental!

Yes, its giving me indigestion!!

OP posts:
ContentedAlpaca · 13/02/2026 18:57

I've always fancied I'd be rather good at it....

I'm loving the women's snowboarding too.

sittingonabeach · 13/02/2026 18:57

I’m sure I saw something years ago showing where they trained doing the getting on the tea tray thing with no ice in sight

singlepringle12 · 13/02/2026 18:56

It’s amazing! But fuck no I’m never trying it. My stomach is flipping as they go round the bends on their little tea tray!! Mental!

Original poster
likelysuspect · 13/02/2026 18:56

bookworm14 · 13/02/2026 18:55

This makes sense as so much of it seems to be about who can get the quickest start. I wonder how the British guys train - presumably abroad as there wouldn’t be the facilities in the UK?

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Down the park with a broken go kart I think. Mum pushes them off at the start.

OP posts:
sittingonabeach · 13/02/2026 18:56

I don’t which way is worst, why anyone thinks going fast on a tea tray is a good idea I’ll never know

bookworm14 · 13/02/2026 18:55

NutButterOnToast · 13/02/2026 18:52

There's no youth pathway, they're often poached from athletics (long jump, sprint events) as they need to run fast at the start.

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This makes sense as so much of it seems to be about who can get the quickest start. I wonder how the British guys train - presumably abroad as there wouldn’t be the facilities in the UK?

edwinbear · 13/02/2026 18:55

How on earth do you decide that’s your sport? I understand winning races at school sports day, joining an athletics club and seeing where it takes you. But who wakes up one morning (and at what age) and decides what they’re best in the world at, is throwing themselves round sheet ice at 80mph?

Original poster
likelysuspect · 13/02/2026 18:54

sittingonabeach · 13/02/2026 18:50

@likelysuspect we have quite a good record in this sport, I’m amazed you haven’t seen it before

@bookworm14 I was impressed with his moustache too 😂

Im amazed I havent seen it before, I love the winter olympics.

I think Ive seen it the other way up.

OP posts:
ElfAndSafetyBored · 13/02/2026 18:54

I was just saying how fun it looked 🤣

RafaistheKingofClay · 13/02/2026 18:53

likelysuspect · 13/02/2026 18:43

I reckon they have to fiddle the sound because the competitors are going 'weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee' all the way down.

In fact they get extra points for doing that in one breath.

Fact.

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I think it’s more like FUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCKK

Or it would be if I did it.?

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