Three bobsleds tip around same turn during Olympic 4-man competition
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Three completely different bobsleds tipped over around the same curve Saturday during the second heats of the 4-man competition on the Cortina Sliding Centre.
Teams from Austria, France and Trinidad & Tobago all noticed their sleds tip onto their slide around the big, U-shaped Curve 7, about midway down the course.
In every case, the sled slid for a protracted stretch — nearly to the end line — earlier than coming to a cease. One of the Austrian crew members, pilot Jakob Mandlbauer, was down on the observe for a protracted time period however was “fine,” in accordance with a crew official.
A stretcher was delivered to the scene, and the competition was delayed for about 20 minutes.
Trinidad & Tobago’s sled, tipped on the observe. (Tiziana FABI / AFP through Getty Images)
In the sled, one in all two belonging to Team Austria, had been Mandlbauer, Daniel Bertschler, Sebastian Mitterer and Daiyehan Nichols-Bardi. Bertschler, Mitterer and Nichols-Bardi had been all seen standing and leaving the scene on their very own energy.
“Jakob is on his way to hospital,” Christoph Iglhauser, Austrian crew press attaché, advised TheAthletic. “He’s not so dangerous. It’s only a examine. Everyone else is okay.
“No injury, only a check. He’ll be fine.”
The French sled consisted of pilot Romain Heinrich, Nils Blairon, Dorian Hauterville and Antoine Riou. Trinidad & Tobago’s had pilot Axel Brown, Shakeel John, Aundre de John and Xaverri Williams.
There was no instant phrase on the French and Trinidad & Tobago athletes, however all had been seen strolling away from the scene.
The French sled after the crash. (Tiziana Fabi / AFP through Getty Images)
There are 16 curves on the roughly 1,750-meter observe. The observe goes to a low level on the backside, then rises once more a bit to assist the sleds decelerate as athletes pull the brakes.
Back in November, Team USA pilot Frank Del Duca crashed during a coaching run on this same observe, though his crash occurred at Curve 4, which a number of sliding athletes on the Olympics have stated is the trickiest curve right here. One of Del Duca’s push athletes, Charlie Volker, sustained a concussion during that crash that finally led to him retiring from bobsled in January, simply weeks earlier than USA Bobsled & Skeleton introduced the nationwide crew.
Canada was in first place when Austria’s sled crashed.
“Sitting in the leader box, it’s tough to see,” stated Canadian pilot Jay Dearborn. “Sleds going over in the Olympics, you don’t really want to see that. You don’t want to climb positions that way. You want to beat teams at their best.”
According to bobsled guidelines, all 4 athletes should cross the end line with their sled, even when it suggestions or crashes, for a run to depend. Because that did not occur, all three groups registered a “Did Not Finish” and had been disqualified from the competition. None was in medal rivalry going into the second run. Austria’s different sled, piloted by Markus Treichl, sits in tenth place heading into the third run, which is able to happen Sunday morning. France and Trinidad & Tobago every had just one sled competing.
“Any sport has risks,” stated Dearborn, whose sled sits in nineteenth place heading into Sunday. “You know about them, and you try not to think about them for too long, and try to perform on race day, on training days to keep yourself safe.”
Both American sleds are doubtless off the rostrum, though as Saturday proved, something can occur on this sport. Del Duca, the highest Team USA pilot, is in twelfth place after his sled’s greatest single run of the season, whereas the sled piloted by Kris Horn sits in ninth.
Three German sleds lead the competition, with pilot Johannes Lochner in first place. Germany, a bobsled powerhouse, swept the 2-man occasion Tuesday, whereas Del Duca’s sled completed fourth.
TheAthletic‘s Matt Slater and Zack Pierce contributed to this report.
