Returning to the Olympics for the second time, skeleton has become one of the more daring sports and is attracting plenty of attention from curious onlookers.

Sometimes called backwards luge, riders slide down an icy chute on their stomachs head-first in the prone position on steel-framed sleds weighing as much as 94.6 pounds. Women riders cannot have a sled that exceeds 77 pounds. The speeds are as fast as 80 mph on sleds that don't have devices for braking or steering.

Skeleton's 2002 program in Utah was the first time it was held at the Olympics since the 1948 Games at St. Moritz, Switzerland. The only other time it was contested was in 1928, when the Winter Games were also held in St. Moritz. This will be the second Olympics for women's skeleton.

The town of Cesana, which is about 55 miles from Torino, will be the site of the luge, bobsled and skeleton events. The women's event takes place Thursday, Feb. 16, and the men will race the following day.

Both men's and women's singles participate with two runs per competition. The winners are determined by total time of the runs.

TOP CONTENDERS AND CURRENT CHAMPIONS

The Americans swept the gold medals four years ago. In the men's competition, Jim Shea Jr., a third-generation Olympian, won the gold, while Martin Rettl of Austria won the silver and Gregor Staehli of Switzerland earned the bronze. Tristan Gale finished first for the women, followed by Lea Ann Parsley of the U.S. and Alex Coomber of Great Britain.

Staehli and Kristan Bromley of Great Britain headline the international field for the men. Staehli, a silver medalist at the 2005 World Championships, is expected to retire after these Olympics. He'll turn 38 before the Winter Games. As for Bromley, he won the overall World Cup title in 2003-04 and finished in 13th place at the 2002 Winter Games.

Maya Pedersen of Switzerland and Germany's Diana Sartor are the top international competitors for the women. Pederson won the 2005 World Championships a year after having a daughter. Sartor finished the 2004-05 season in fifth. Less than two years ago, she had surgery for broken bones in her left foot.

U.S./CANADIAN OUTLOOK

The United States will face the challenge of improving on its three-medal performance in the 2002 Games as the skeleton team heads into these Olympics.

Zach Lund, the 2002 and 2004 America's Cup Champion, is on the men's roster along with Eric Bernotas and Kevin Ellis. Bernotas is a three-time Verizon national champion. The men are ranked second, fifth and seventh, respectively, in the world, and will be the Olympic debuts for all three.

Chris Soule, who was in the 2002 Olympics, was named as an alternate. There is a chance he could replace Lund, who could be suspended after reportedly testing positive for a banned substance at a World Cup race.

Katie Uhlaender was the lone female named to the team and will be making her Olympic debut. Noelle Pikus-Pace, the 2005 World Cup Champion who was sidelined with a broken leg earlier this season, was nominated as a replacement.

The bigger issue for the U.S. is the status of head coach Tim Nardiello, who has been accused of sexual harassment. The United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation has been investigating the allegations. Current United States team driving coach, Orvie Garrett, could take over as the skeleton coach for the Olympics.

The Canadians expect to have a strong presence at the Olympics. Jeff Pain, the 2004-05 World Cup winner who was sixth at the 2002 Games, has made a remarkable comeback since breaking his foot during the 2003-04 season. Duff Gibson, 39, placed 10th at the 2002 Games, but finished third in the 2004-05 World Cup and at the 2005 World Championships.

Mellisa Hollingsworth-Richards leads the women's field for the Canadians. It's been a steady climb for the 25-year-old. She was in 10th place at the 2005 World Championships and jumped to eighth at the end of last season's standings. She also won her first career World Cup gold medal this past season in her hometown of Calgary. Heading up to the games, she had five straight podium finishes at the World Cup.

Lindsay Alcock, who garnered a sixth-place finish at the 2002 Olympics, joins the fray for the Canadians.