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how fast is olympic luge

Olympic luge is extremely fast: athletes routinely exceed about 140–145 km/h (around 87–90 mph), and top runs can push close to 150 km/h (about 93–95 mph).

Quick Scoop: How fast is Olympic luge?

  • Typical race speeds: about 120–145 km/h (75–90 mph) on modern Olympic-style tracks.
  • Frequently quoted top speed range: “over 90 mph” (around 145 km/h) in Olympic competition.
  • Widely cited upper end: roughly 95 mph (about 150 km/h), making luge one of the very fastest winter sports.
  • Example record-type runs:
    • A luger has been clocked at about 154 km/h (96 mph) on the Whistler track in Canada.
* Street luge (a related but non-Olympic discipline) has gone over 100 mph (around 164 km/h).

At those speeds, sliders lie on their backs just centimeters above the ice, steering with tiny shifts of their shoulders, calves, and body weight, which is why luge is often called the fastest sport on ice.

TL;DR: If you blink, a top Olympic luge sled traveling near 150 km/h has already moved more than 40 meters down the track.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.