Luge at Beijing 2022: Updated schedule and how to watch sliding at the Olympic Winter Games
Competition is under way at the Yanqing sliding centre, and here's your guide to when the key events take place.
Luge
Luge is considered to be the fastest sport at the Winter Olympics, with athletes reaching speeds of over 150 km/h (95 mph).
Competition began at the National Sliding Centre in Yanqing on 5 February at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, to start.
There are four medals on offer at these Games: the men's singles, women's singles, doubles, and the hugely popular team relay event.
Read on to find the schedule of competition and the best way to watch the action.
Luge events at Beijing 2022
Men's and women's singles - One athlete on the sled. Each competitor gets four runs, the times are added, and the fastest total time determines the winner. Women start from a position further down the course than the men.
Doubles - A one-day competition in which pairs of athletes, one lying on top of the other, take two runs down the course. The fastest total time determines the winner. Teams can be comprised of men, women, or a mix.
Team Relay - A relatively new addition to the Olympic programme after making its debut at Sochi 2014. Each team selects three sleds: a woman, a man, and a doubles team. The women's sled starts in the normal way. At the finish, the athlete hits a touch pad, which opens the start gate for the man's sled. The process is repeated, releasing the doubles team on the anchor leg. The time stops when the top driver of the doubles sled hits the touch pad, with each team contributing to one combined time.
Luge competition schedule at Beijing 2022 Olympics
Venue: The Yanqing National Sliding Centre
(All times are in local time, UTC+8)
Sat 5 February
19:10 - Men's singles - heats 1 and 2 - Read a review of the action in our Live Blog updates from Saturday.
Sun 6 February
19:30 - Men's singles - heats 3 and 4 - Read a review of the action in our Live Blog updates.
Mon 7 February
19:50 - Women's singles - heats 1 and 2 - Read a review of the action in our Live Blog updates from Saturday.
Tue 8 February
19:50 - Women's singles - heats 3 and 4 - Follow all the action in our Live Blog updates from Saturday.
Wed 9 February
20:20 - Doubles
Thu 10 February
21:30 - Team Relay
The full schedule of Beijing 2022 competition in all sports, including changes to competition start times, can be found here.
How to watch the luge competition at Beijing 2022
Luge is the fastest sport at the Olympics, and also one of the most dangerous, the first thing to appreciate is the sheer velocity of the athletes.
It's the fastest because the runners (blades under the sled) are sharper than in bobsleigh or skeleton, and more difficult to control.
“It can also look as if an athlete is not doing that much when the sport is shown on the TV, but we’re actually steering the whole way down and trying to be relaxed – there’s so much to do, but when you’re doing it right, the spectator at home doesn’t get a feel for it," British luger Adam Rosen, who competed in both the 2006 and 2010 editions of the Olympic Winter Games told Olympic Channel.
Despite having to endure six Gs of pressure on the curves, athletes must stay relaxed physically in order to maintain the highest possible speeds.
The doubles event involves a whole new skill to add to the brains, brawn and bravery of the singles: chemistry. Keep an eye on how the heavier athlete, often on top in order to maintain balance, works in tandem with the teammate underneath in the turns.
“It’s not quite like a double-decker bus going down, but it’s similar," Rosen continued. "You have to be more precise and aware of where you’re going because it’s a lot easier to crash in doubles over singles."
READ: An Olympian explains: How to master luge with Armin Zöggeler