Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/298092
34 ■ CGW M a r ch / A p r i l 2 014 Team USA medals in Sochi with a bobsled that was designed and constructed using cutting-edge technology in their home country By Karen Moltenbrey 34 ■ CGW M a r ch / A p r i l 2 014 The competitive bobsled race is hardly the fun sledding experience we all had as children. The track is fraught with dangerous curves, the athletes inside travel Autobahn-like speeds, and the open-top sleds are super sleek and agile, as a frac- tion of a second can mean the difference between winning and simply competing. While competitors have no say over the track, they do have control over the design of their sled. And for the recent Olympics in Sochi, Russia, the four-man USA bobsled team turned to American ingenuity and computer design to make their dreams of an Olympic medal come true. The initial Olympic four-man bobsled race was part of the first winter games, held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. Back then, the sleds were made of wood, and later replaced by steel. Modern-day bobsleds are typically built with a lightweight metal frame and covered with fiberglass or a composite material to increase the aerodynamics. A steering mechanism – comprising a steering pulley, an axle, and a DESIGN American Made American Made American Made American Made American Made American Made Team USA medals in Sochi with a bobsled that was designed and constructed using cutting-edge tech in their home country By Karen Moltenbrey