English
Bobsleigh, skeleton and luge have been among the most popular winter sports for several decades, not only in Latvia, but also in many other countries around the world, gathering a wide range of fans both at ice tracks and at TV screens. The success of Latvian athletes – medals won at the Olympic Games, world and European championships, has promoted name of Latvia around the world. However, in order to succeed in these technical sports, where the victory depends on a fraction of a second, not only the high physical and moral fitness of athletes, but also the best technical equipment is vital. Essential components of the inventory for these technical sports - bodies - are made here in Riga, by the company “Prestol” operating in the port of Riga.
“Prestol” specializes in the development and use of high-performance composite materials in the manufacture of boats, SUP boards and aircraft components. “Prestol”'s technological expertise and competence in the field of composite materials have been highly valued by Latvian bobsleigh pioneers and bob construction experts for 6 years. Within the framework of this cooperation, modern bobsleighs are produced for Latvian athletes, as well as for sportsmen in the USA, Canada, Japan, Korea, Switzerland and other countries.
For example, at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, 13 out of 20 teams competed in bobsleighs designed and manufactured in Latvia, and the bodies of these bobsleighs were made by “Prestol”. The US two-women's bobsleigh crew won the Olympic bronze medal with this equipment.
"The principles of aerodynamics on a bobsleigh track are different from those that need to be taken into account in the field of aviation. A racing bob has to absorb a significant number of impacts - air pressure, vibration, as well as the force of gravity. Given the magnitude of these different loads, we need to find a middle ground between the elasticity, strength and weight of the material. Work on the bobsleigh project requires high precision and careful execution. The development of one bob can take from one to one and a half years ", commented the owner of the company Oto Dzenis referring to the specifics of the Olympic sleigh.
Although the Tokyo Olympics have just ended, the company is already working on new bobsleigh projects. The design work is carried out in close cooperation with the company “Bobsleja tehniskais centrs”, led by the experienced specialist Jānis Skrastiņš. “This work is time consuming and requires high precision. Even after the prototype work is completed, it will take a few more months to make a bob suitable for the track. Although sleighs are manufactured to certain standards and international guidelines, this does not mean that precise engineering alone will guarantee success. The key to success lies in practical experience - that is why our bobsleigh traditions, knowledge and understanding of this sport made Latvia one of the leading countries in this sport,” emphasized J. Skrastiņš, the head of the “Bobsleja tehniskais centrs”.
Information for media
- liene.ozola [at] rop.lv, +371 670 308 53
- Freeport of Riga Authority
- 12 Kalpaka blvd, Riga, Latvia, LV-1010
