Winter Olympics Skeleton: What are the rules and score?

By Staff | Feb 5, 2018

Tina Hermann of Germany competes in the first run of the women's skeleton event during the fifth of eight races within the 2017-2018 IBSF World Cup Bobsled and Skeleton series on December 15, 2017 at the Olympic ice track in Innsbruck/Igls ahead of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, which be held in February in South Korea. / AFP PHOTO / APA AND EXPA / Johann GRODER / Austria OUT (Photo credit should read JOHANN GRODER/AFP/Getty Images) /

Skeleton is one of the more exciting Winter Olympics sports, so what are the rules and how do they score to determine a winner.

At the Winter Olympics, sports fans get a glimpse into a world of sports they only see every four years. The unique events at the Winter Olympics is a big reason why it is such an incredible event.

One of those events is skeleton, a sport for true adrenaline junkies. Riders run and hurl themselves onto a sled and ride down an icy chute at high speeds, head first.

But what are the rules for this sport, one that seems pretty simple? Well, the rules are basic but there are some intricate details governing the sport.

First, in men and women’s skeleton, riders go down the same track for the same length. In both gender’s competitions, each rider gets four runs. Those for rides are timed down to the hundredth of a second and the four times are added together, and the fastest time determines a winner.

If two riders are tied after four runs, they are awarded the same place and there is no tiebreaker.

If a rider gets off their sled, they can get back on and have to be back on when they cross the finish line for the ride and time to count. More importantly, perhaps, riders are allowed to intentionally get off their sled to adjust the positioning.

The real sticky details come down to weight (via NBC Sports).

"The weight of the sled alone may not exceed 43kg (95 pounds) for men, and 35kg (77 pounds) for women.The combined weight of the sled, athlete and race equipment may not exceed 115kg (254 pounds) for men, and 92kg (204 pounds) for women. If the maximum allowable weight is exceeded, the maximum weight of the sled is lowered to 33kg (73 pounds) for men, and 29kg (64 pounds) for women.Athletes are allowed to use ballast weights to reach the maximum allowable weight."

Next: Best Olympian from each state

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