Luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine (face-up) and feet-first. It is the fastest sport in the Winter Olympics, where athletes ride a flat sled through a course face up and feet first. The sled slides on two steel pieces, with the extended curved parts at the end called the runners, which help the luger change direction with their legs. The seat on which the luger lies on the sled is called the ‘pod seat’. A singles sled has to weigh between 21-25kg while a doubles sled can weigh between 25-30kg. The maximum width for a singles sled is 550mm and the maximum height is 120mm.

Luge was introduced at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria with the men’s singles, women’s singles and doubles events. The team relay was added to the Olympic programme in 2014. The sport of luge requires an athlete to balance mental and physical fitness. Physically, a luger must have strong neck, upper body, abdominal, and thigh muscles. Athletes also use wind tunnels to train. Strength training is essential to withstand the extreme G-forces of tight turns at high speeds. Since lugers have very little protection other than a visor and helmet, they must be able to endure the physical pounding administered by the track when mistakes are made.

The sport of luge is governed by the Fédération International de Luge de Course (FIL, International Luge Federation). The FIL is based in Salzburg, Austria, and includes 53 member nations.