Quick Facts : Whistler Sliding Centre

• One of only 15 international competition sliding tracks in the world
• Highest vertical drop of any track in the world: 152 metres
• Track G-force is expected to reach 5.02 Gs (men’s luge)
• Highest speed reached in inaugural 2007-08 season: 147.9 kilometres per hour (four-man bobsleigh)
• A thin ice surface measuring between two and five centimetres is produced and maintained by hand
• The track measures 1,450 metres from start to finish, with an elevation change of over 150 metres
• 350 tons of concrete were used to construct the track
• The track has 36 on-track cameras and 42 “timing eyes”
• Energy-efficiency initiatives, designed to minimize refrigeration plant energy use, include an ammonia refrigeration system. Ammonia is one of the most energy-efficient refrigerants, producing no chlorofluorocarbons (which contribute to ozone-layer depletion and global climate change).