Rules to play Luge

Singles

In mens and womens singles, athletes take four runs down the track. The four times are added, and the fastest total time determines the winner. The competition takes two days to complete two runs per day. The four run format is unique to the Olympic Winter Games and is designed to reward consistency, endurance, and ability to withstand pressure particularly on the second day. Men and women compete on the same track, though the women start from a position further down the course. At the Whistler Sliding Centre, the mens course is approximately .85 miles; the womens and doubles course is .74 miles. At the start of all four runs, each sled is weighed, each athlete is weighed, and temperatures of sled runners are compared to an official control runner. In singles, the sled cannot weigh more than 50.6 lbs.There is no maximum weight for athletes, but men who weigh less than 198 lbs and women who weigh less than 165 lbs are allowed to add extra weight as ballast.

The mens and womens singles fields are divided into four starting groups, based on results from the last three World Cup races prior to the Games, with a maximum of three athletes per country. Bib numbers and starting positions are randomly drawn from within each starting group. For the second run, each group reverses its starting order. The third proceeds with the fastest athlete from the first two runs and ends with the slowest. For the final run, the fastest team based on the first three runs combined competes last. After the final run, the three medalists face sled control in which the whole vehicle is taken apart and officials examine measurements and check suspension systems to ensure that no illegal methods or materials are present.