Images show just how much the Olympic bobsled event has changed over the years

By Cork Gaines From Business Insider

Among the most intense sports at the Winter Olympics are the bobsled events, or officially, “bobsleigh.”

The bobsled events that most of us are familiar with involve what look like miniature rockets propelling down a man-made track at extreme velocities, often under the cover of a roof to protect the track from the elements.

But things were much different nearly 100 years ago when the sport was part of the first Winter Olympics in 1924, held in Chamonix, France.

Below is a look at just how much the sport has evolved through the years, with a lot of help from the IOC who collected video from many of the Olympiads. You can see that video here.

1924 — Chamonix, France
YouTube/Olympic
Gold medalists:

Men’s Four/Five: Switzerland-1

The track in 1924 looked like somebody dug a track in their backyard
YouTube/Olympic

1932 — Lake Placid, USA
YouTube/Olympic
Gold medalists:

Men’s Two: United States-1
Men’s Four: United States-1

It looks like the racers were wearing leather football helmets with some primitive facemasks. Also note the steering wheel.
YouTube/Olympic

1936 — Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
YouTube/Olympic
Gold medalists:

Men’s Two: United States-1
Men’s Four: Switzerland-2

The track was still cut into the hillside, but it looked like it was starting to be built for serious speed.
YouTube/Olympic

1948 — Sankt Moritz, Switzerland
1948 — Sankt Moritz, Switzerland
YouTube/Olympic
Gold medalists:

Men’s Two: Switzerland-2
Men’s Four: United States-2

While some teams started to incorporate more aerodynamics into the sleds, some were still using standard steering wheels.
YouTube/Olympic

1952 — Oslo, Norway
YouTube/Olympic
Gold medalists:

Men’s Two: Germany-1
Men’s Four: Germany

Some of the sleds started to look like race cars.
YouTube/Olympic

1956 — Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
YouTube/Olympic
Gold medalists:

Men’s Two: Italy-1
Men’s Four: Switzerland-1

And still just cutting tracks into the hillside.
YouTube/Olympic

1964 — Innsbruck, Austria
YouTube/Olympic
Gold medalists:

Men’s Two: Great Britain-1
Men’s Four: Canada-1

1972 — Sapporo, Japan
YouTube/Olympic
Gold medalists:

Men’s Two: West Germany-2
Men’s Four: Switzerland-1

Check out those helmets
YouTube/Olympic

1988 — Calgary, Canada
Getty Images
Gold medalists:

Men’s Two: Soviet Union-1
Men’s Four: Switzerland-1

1998 — Nagano, Japan
YouTube/Olympic
Gold medalists:

Men’s Two: Italy-1; Canada-1
Men’s Four: Germany-2

2006 —Torino, Italy
Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Gold medalists:

Men’s Four: Germany-1
Women’s Two: Germany-1

2018 —Pyeongchang, South Korea
Lars Baron/Getty Images

For more on this story go to: http://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-olympic-bobsleds-2018-2#1936-garmisch-partenkirchen-germany-5