Skeleton at the Winter Olympics
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Skeleton is a winter sport featured in the Winter Olympics where the competitor rides head-first and prone (lying face down) on a flat sled. It is normally run on an ice track that allows the sled to gain speed by gravity.
Skeleton was first included in the Olympic programme at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, using the Cresta Run. It appeared again at the 1948 Winter Olympics, also held in St. Moritz, but was then dropped from the programme. The sport's dependence on a single venue, the limited number of suitable tracks worldwide, and safety concerns all contributed to its 54-year absence from the Games.[1]
In October 1999, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) added the discipline to the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics sports program, with both men's and women's events, and it has been held in each Winter Olympic competition since.[2] In June 2022, the IOC added a third event, the mixed team, to the sports program at the 2026 Winter Olympics.[3][4]
Non-traditional winter sport nations
Since skeleton's Olympic return in 2002, the sport has attracted competitors from countries with little or no natural ice or snow, including Jamaica, Ghana, Nigeria, Brazil, Bermuda, Mexico, and the United States Virgin Islands. At the 2018 Winter Olympics, Akwasi Frimpong became the first black African male skeleton racer to compete at the Games, representing Ghana, while Simidele Adeagbo became the first black African female skeleton Olympian, competing for Nigeria.[5]
Summary
Events
Medal table
Accurate as of 2026 Winter Olympics.
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Great Britain | 5 | 1 | 5 | 11 |
| 2 |  United States | 3 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
| 3 |  Germany | 2 | 6 | 4 | 12 |
| 4 |  Canada | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 5 |  Austria | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 |  Russia | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
 Switzerland | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | |
| 8 |  Italy | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 South Korea | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 10 |  Latvia | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 |  Australia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Olympic Athletes from Russia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 13 |  China | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Netherlands | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (14 entries) | 17 | 17 | 17 | 51 | |
Participating nations
Numbers indicate the number of skeleton racers each nation sent to each respective edition of the games.
| Nation | 24 | 28 | 32 | 36 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 94 | 98 | 02 | 06 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 22 | 26 | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 American Samoa | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Argentina | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australia | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Austria | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
 Belgium | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 Bermuda | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Brazil | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Canada | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
| China | 1 | 4 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 Croatia | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Czech Republic | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 Denmark | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Estonia | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
 France | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Germany | 4 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||
 Ghana | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Great Britain | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||
 Greece | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Ireland | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 Israel | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Italy | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
 Jamaica | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Japan | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Latvia | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
 Lebanon | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Mexico | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Netherlands | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 New Zealand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
 Nigeria | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Norway | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympic Athletes from Russia | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Poland | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Puerto Rico | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Romania | 1 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 ROC | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Russia | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 Slovenia | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
 South Africa | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Korea | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
 Spain | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Switzerland | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
 Ukraine | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
 Virgin Islands | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nations | 6 | 6 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 24 | 21 | 23 | |||||||||||||||||
| Skeleton racers | 10 | 15 | 39 | 42 | 48 | 47 | 50 | 50 | 50 | |||||||||||||||||
