Most people think of a skeleton (what we call a sled) as a tea tray on a couple of runners – the modern ‘Flat Top’ is in fact a very sophisticated piece of engineering, costing some £2000-£3000. This cost is without runners and a variety of these are needed for different conditions. Riders wear an aerodynamic ‘skin’ suit, lightweight helmet, elbow pads and spiked sprint shoes. The total equipment cost is circa £5000.

"It is a sport that combines athleticism, aerodynamics, materials technology, physics and control dynamics all into one," said Great Britain's top men's slider, Kristan Bromley. "The skeleton is an extremely technical piece of equipment that is fine-tuned for each individual track and weather conditions.... The sport in essence is about conservation of energy from top to bottom of the track."

The skeleton sled is a steel frame with a composite pod, a steel saddle that holds the rider and two stainless steel runners. Racers slide with no brakes or steering devices, experiencing forces up to five times the force of gravity. They steer by shifting the weight of their body, shoulders and feet, sometimes dragging a toe behind to act as a rudder.