Skeleton returned to the Winter Olympics in 2002 after a 54-year absence.
The sport had been included at the 1928 and 1948 Winter Olympics, both held in St. Moritz, Switzerland. It was absent from the program for more than five decades before reappearing at the Salt Lake City Games in 2002.
Skeleton racers lie face down on a small sled and descend an ice track headfirst. Unlike luge, in which competitors race feet-first on their backs, skeleton requires the athlete to steer using subtle body movements while remaining close to the ice.
At Salt Lake City, men’s and women’s skeleton events were contested. Jim Shea won the men’s gold medal for the United States, while Tristan Gale won the women’s title. The 2002 return was part of a broader effort to restore established sliding sports to the Olympic program.