Italy's Armin Zoggeler races by in a preliminary run during the Veissmann Luge World Cup on at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. He won the gold medal in Luge at the 2006 Winter Olympics. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images) Luge is the French word for sled and historical findings point to the existence of sleds as early as AD 800, beginning with the Vikings in the Slagen countryside near the Oslo Fjord in Norway.
The Vikings are believed to have had sleds with two runners, a design that resembles the modern-day version.
The first course was built in Davos, Switzerland in 1879, and four years later, the town hosted the first international competition. The event featured athletes racing along a four-kilometre icy road between Davos and the village of Klosters.
Peter Minsch of Switzerland and Australia's George Robertson tied for first in what was called "The Great International Sled Race" on Feb. 12, 1883. The two raced down the four-km track in nine minutes 15 seconds.
Luge races have grown considerably faster with the advent of refrigerated tracks and aerodynamic equipment, allowing speeds to regularly reach in excess of 140km/h.
The sport, including men, women and doubles events, made its Olympic debut at the 1964 Games in Innsbruck, Austria. The events have remained the only three in the sport since its inception. Germany dominated at Innsbruck, winning gold and silver in the men and women's events, while Austria claimed gold in the double's race.
