Can anyone explain to me how this differs from, say, luge? Is it the sled? (I read the attached article, but still can't tell). He does appear to be riding ass-up as opposed to face-up in the luge ...

Looks exciting, but, then again, maybe I'm just a sucker for any athlete in a tight body suit!

Skeleton in Winter Olympics

No expert here, but I believe that in Skeleton, the sledder goes down the track Head first, while in luge it is feet first.

Hope this helped...

Luge is feet first, face up. Skelton is head first, ass up. Neither is particularly safe, though they are practiced by so few, there aren't a whole lot of fatalities, but probably more per capita than other sports. Practitioners of both sports have an off the ice reputation for hard drinking, hard fighting, fierce loyalty to teammates and never going anywhere without their "sleds". During the World Cup races before the Nagano Olympics, the American luge team was in a bar in Germany when neo-nazi skinheads picked a fight with the one Black man on the team. The Irish (Catholic?) member of the team, Duncan Kennedy, supposedly hit one of them with his sled, blades first. The only Jewish member of the team, had of course retired to the hotel early in the evening

I have been to several "prep" events at the site for the 2002 Olympics. It is a rush to watch these guys on skeleton and luge. I especially like the doubles luge. Those guys all plastered togehter riding a luge at 65 mph (or more) ... and it doesn't hurt that they are cute and in those skin tight outfits. So I have tickets to the double luge finals in the Olympics.. cant wait. Hope the Americans do well.

Utahman, luge is fun to watch live for the most part. I saw womens luge in Calgary and it's frickin' amazing how fast they fly right by you. But after seeing it live, then seeing it on t.v., I think I'll stick to watching it on the tube.

Love the luge. Its a cool sport in my book. Lets go Yanks!!!