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Picture of turns 15 through 19 (right to left) of Cesana Pariol
during the 2006 Winter Olympics
Cesana Pariol was the venue for bobsled, luge and skeleton during the 2006
Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. The track, built for the
games, is located in Cesana. The venue holds approximately
7,130 spectators, of which 3,624 are seated.
Construction details
The track is constructed with about 54 miles (87 km) of ammonia refrigeration pipes
to help form ice on the track for proper sliding. Numerous sensors
located along the track ensure that the ice's thickness is kept
between 5 and 10 cm (2 to 4 inches) to keep the track properly
smooth during competitions.
History
During construction of the track prior to the
2006 games, there was concern that the track would be completed in
time for homologation. A minor archaeological find
(Roman ruins) during construction slowed progress until the remains
were excavated (near the current Turn 11).
The track was completed in late 2004. In January 2005, the FIBT and FIL
held their homologation events at the track. The FIBT had no issue
when they ran their events during the weekend of January 21-23,
2005. The following week, the FIL ran their events, and had several
crashes. Included in the crashes were Austria's Wolfgang Linger (broken ankle and
calfbone), Brazil's Renato
Mizoguchi (medically-induced coma), and the U.S. Virgin Islands' Anne Abernathy
(collarbone). During the summer of 2005, discussions were held
among TOROC (the organizer of the 2006 Games), FIBT President Robert H.
Storey (Canada), and FIL
President Josef
Fendt (Germany) about
refitting the track for safety reasons. An agreement was reached by
all three, and turns 16 through 18 were modified as such. The track
was finally modified in late 2005 in time for homologation. Test
runs done by Italy's Armin Zöggeler in late October 2005 led
to the track being homologated on October 31, 2005 after it had
been approved by former German national team coach Josef Lenz and FIL track
commission chair Klaus Bonsack.
Cesana Pariol is now part of the complex called Torino
Olympic Park. Post-Olympic usage for the tracks includes
bobsleigh and luge rides for the public.
In October 2009, problems with early refrigeration of the track
led the Bob- und
Schlittenverband für Deutschland in Germany to lend support of short-order
auxilliary services for foreign teams on such short notice.
Starting 16 October, Italy and Japan's teams trained at the track in Winterberg
while Austria's team trained
at Königssee's
track.
Statistics
Physical statistics
| Sport |
Length of track (meters) |
Number of turns |
| Bobsleigh, skeleton, and luge - men's singles |
1435 |
19 (11 left and 8 right) |
| Luge - women's singles and men's doubles |
1233 |
17 (9 left and 8 right) |
The venue includes a vertical drop of 114 meters from start to
finish.
Turns
| Turn Number |
Name |
Reason named |
| 1. |
Champlas |
Local town near the track. |
| 2. |
Gancio |
Italian for "Hook" |
| 3. |
Il Muro |
Italian for "The Wall".
Women's singles and men's double luge have their start house after this turn. |
| 4., 5. |
Gemelli |
Italian for "Twins". |
| 6., 7., 8. |
Toro |
Italian for "Bull". Also
for the toroid or torus shape of these three turns.
It is also an Omega-shaped
curve. |
| 9. |
Cesana |
The comune where
the track is located. |
| 10. |
Nino Bibbia |
1948 Winter Olympics gold medalist
in skeleton at St. Moritz. Italy's first gold medalist in
bobsled, luge, or skeleton, and its first-ever Winter Olympic medalist. |
| 11. |
Museo |
Italian for "Museum". An
archeological find was found near this turn
during track construction. |
| 12., 13. |
Chicane |
Shape of these curves. |
| 14. |
Chaberton |
After the Chaberton Mountains that the inside of this curve
faces. |
| 15. |
Lavatrice |
Italian for "Washing machine" |
| 16. |
Compressionie |
Italian for "Compression". From the compressive
forces put upon the body during the maneuvering of the sled through
the turn. |
| 17. |
Paul
Hildgartner |
Formerly "Senza Nome" ("Without Name" in (Italian)).
Named for luger who won four Winter Olympic, five world championship, and
six European championship
medals between 1971 and 1988. Among first inductees in FIL Hall of
Fame in 2004. |
| 18. |
Pariol |
The village in Cesana where the track is located. |
| 19. |
Eugenio
Monti |
Six-time Olympic medalist and 10-time bobsled World Champion
medalist from 1957 to 1968. |
Championships hosted
Since the 2006 Winter Olympics, the track has served as a World
Cup venue for both the International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing
Federation and the International Luge Federation. It hosted
the 2008 FIL European Luge
Championships during January 7-13 and will host the 2011 FIL World Luge
Championships (Dates TBD).
References
External
links
Coordinates: 44°57′08″N 6°48′19″E / 44.952346°N
6.805147°E / 44.952346;
6.805147
Switzerland - Beat Hefti & Thomas
Lamparter
Germany
Russia
Italy - Christian
Oberstolz & Patrick Gruber
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Kingdom
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