Bob Skeleton
Lauren Campbell
Richard Bromley is the Olympic Technical Coach for the Great British Bob Skeleton team. His brother, Kristan Bromley, is the British number one and former world champion of Bob Skeleton. Also, his fiancé, Shelley Rudman, is an Olympic silver medallist in this sport.
Kristan and Richard come from Rossendale in Lancashire. When they were both young they never imagined doing what they are doing now, but whilst studying at university, they were given a project to build a sled. Whilst conducting their study, they both discovered that they had a natural talent for Bob Skeleton and were later challenged to compete for a place in the British Bob Skeleton team.
A Bob Skeleton sled is made from a steel chassis covered with a carbon fibre cowling (protective covering). It also has two steel runners, which are attached to the bottom and have low friction so that it can slide across the ice quickly. The sled also has a saddle to hold the athlete in place.
The sleds are put together by Richard himself, but most of the components are manufactured by local Engineering companies, like Walker Engineering, which is my family’s company. Richard also makes sled equipment for over 20 countries world-wide. Furthermore, Richard and Kristan own a performance Engineering company, where they research, design and build their own equipment.
Bob Skeleton is an extreme winter sport, which involves athletes sprinting fifty metres before diving on to their 40kg sled and racing up to 90 mph, down 1 mile of ice track. This sport can be very dangerous if the athletes are not trained properly. Richard, Kristan and Shelley train in Lillehammer, Norway. Richard says it is like their second home; however if they need to practice over here they use a facility in Bath. They have to use this particular facility, otherwise they will not get there run off correct and this is the most important part, for speed and safety.
If anyone is interested in this sport, then there are Skeleton schools where people can enrol and spend 1 week learning to slide. People can also visit one of 20 bobsleigh tracks around the world and try the sport.
The last Winter Olympics were held, February 2010, in Vancouver, Canada. Both Kristan and Shelley came fifth, narrowly missing a medal. They do this sport to demonstrate there Engineering capabilities, and to challenge the world of Bob Skeleton, by becoming the best!!!!!!!