The modern version of luge can trace its origins back to the pastime of tobogganing down hills. Luge is the French word for sled, and historical findings point to the existence of sleds, as early as AD 800 when the Vikings used them in the Slagen countryside near the Oslo Fjord.

The sport of luge involves competitors propelling the luge forward, at the start in a sitting position gathering speed by paddling their hands and then lying back to wind their way down through the corners.

An Australian student George Robertson won what is reputed to be the world’s first international sled race, in 1883 in Davos, Switzerland. He outslid 19 other competitors from England, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States on a four kilometre stretch of road from St. Wolfgang to Klosters to share the victory with Klosters mailman Peter Minsch.

It was not till 72 years later that the first world championships occurred on an artificial track in Oslo in 1955. Two years later, the International Luge Federation (FIL) was founded in Davos, Switzerland.

The luge was included in the Winter Olympic program for the first time at Innsbruck 1964 and has remained on the program ever since. Women have competed in this event from the start, but so far only in singles, though following Albertville there have been no regulations preventing women from competing in doubles.

Three Australians have competed at the Olympic Games in luge and Hannah Campbell-Pegg from Sydney is attempting to be Australia’s first luge dual-Olympian.

Diana Ogle was the first Australian to represent her country in this sport. She competed at Albertville 1992 and flew down the track to place 21st from 24 contenders. At the following Olympics, Roger White became the first male to represent Australia, placing 32nd at Lillehammer 1994.

It was another 12 years before Campbell-Pegg finished 23rd at Torino in 2006. She hopes to crack it into the top 20 in Vancouver.

A luge is a sled set on two separate runners of steel metal blades with a pod seat set on a bridge in between them. Mechanical braking devices are prohibited. The maximum weight for a sled is 23kg for a singles and 27kg for a doubles. The maximum width of a singles sled is 550mm. The racing pod may not exceed a height of 120mm.

The temperature of the blades may not be greater than 5 degrees centigrade warmer than the control temperature taken from the anchored runner. This is checked at the start of the race, as are the weight of the sled and weight of the athlete.

All race clothing must conform to the body contours of the competitor. A neck strap is permitted to help an athlete hold his head up under the high G-forces they experience, but it may not lead to an aerodynamically improved form of the race clothing. Spikes, which help with paddling at the start, may be worn and can be a maximum of 4mm long. The sole of the shoe may be no more than 20mm thick and the height no more than 200mm. Any method of mechanically pointing the foot or toes is prohibited.

• Ice sports honour their star athletes
• Vancouver 2010 Team Processing Underway
• One-year-to-go: Hopes are high for Aussies in Vancouver
• IOC Approves Sochi Venues
• IOC Awards Games to Russia
• Luge Review - Otto and Zoeggler defend crowns