Abstract
It was found that the key points of time reduction of bobsleigh were to reduce friction resistance between the runner and ice, and to improve the start technique, from the results of bobsleigh's dynamic analysis. Then, the authors designed and manufactured a new bobsleigh runner based on elastic-plastic contact analysis, which realized minimum contact area between the runner and ice within the shape that prevents ploughing term in friction force. The developed bobsleigh runner based on the analysis was named as “Nagano Special”. Additionally, the authors suggested a new start technique called “Keri-Nori”, which was quite different from the conventional start technique of the Japanese bobsleigh team, and verified its benefit. By using the newly developed bobsleigh runner “Nagano Special” and the new start technique “Keri-Nori”, the Japanese bobsleigh team took the 4th place among the world 44 teams in the international official tryout held on February 1998 just before Nagano Olympic Games.
