A summer luge may look like a plastic tray on wheels. But at full speed it hurtles around the concrete banking of Sarajevo’s Olympic bobsleigh track with the roar of a Star Wars TIE fighter swooping in for the kill.

There are no barriers to prevent encroachment on the track, but standing clear is essential. Flat out, the flimsy vehicle careers down the course at almost 140km/h (87mph).

There is an undeniable irony about a Winter Olympic luge track that comes to life in the summer but has to close when the temperatures drop. A cursory inspection of the course reveals why high-speed action on ice is currently impossible.