Skeleton - Utah Olympic Park The start order is complicated, but the race rules are simple: The fastest sled wins. Considered the world's first sliding sport, skeleton was started in the Swiss town of St. Moritz in the late 1800s. The first competition was held in 1884. Riders raced down the road from St. Moritz to Celerina, where the winner received a bottle of champagne. It wasn't until 1887 that riders began competing in the prone position used today. The sport received its name in 1892, when a new sled made mostly of metal was introduced. People thought it looked like a skeleton. In 1923, the Federation Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobagganing (FIBT) was founded. Three years later, bobsleigh and skeleton were declared Olympic sports. Skeleton returns to the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City after a 54-year absence. The 2002 Games will mark skeleton's third Olympic appearance. Back to top