Luge is the Winter Olympic sport performed lying on the back with the feet pointing forward. Competitors ride a small sled, called a luge, down an icy track while steering primarily with subtle movements of their shoulders, legs and calves.
The sport developed from sledding in the Alpine regions of Europe, especially Switzerland, in the 19th century. Luge became part of the Winter Olympic programme at the 1964 Innsbruck Games. Olympic competition includes men's singles, women's singles, doubles and the team relay.
Luge is often confused with skeleton and bobsleigh. Skeleton athletes race headfirst while lying on their stomachs, whereas luge racers face upward and travel feet first. Bobsleigh crews sit inside a larger enclosed sled and steer with a hand-controlled mechanism. Luge athletes also reach very high speeds, often above 130 km/h on elite tracks, despite using a much smaller sled.