Bobsleigh Crash Leaves Austrian Driver Stretchered Off at Milano Cortina
The bobsleigh crash in heat two of the men's four-man event at Milano Cortina left Austrian pilot Jakob Mandlbauer, 27, upside down and stretchered off the track, forcing a lengthy pause in competition and a hospital transfer.
Bobsleigh Crash halted heat two and forced track repairs
The Austrian crew lost control on a left-hand turn as the sled approached the final quarter of the course, reaching about 117 kilometres-per-hour before a wobble sent the sled off course and onto its side. Three teammates managed to exit the sled, but the sled slid back into the middle of the track and did not cross the finish line, resulting in disqualification from the four-man competition.
Medical team stabilised driver before stretcher evacuation
Medical personnel took more than 15 minutes to stabilise Mandlbauer after he was left upside down on the ice; the driver remained on the track while responders worked and was later stretchered off and taken to hospital after complaining of neck and back pain. The 27-year-old was carried from the scene as medics tended to him on the run.
Field delayed, course repaired and racing resumed
Officials suspended the track while crews repaired damage caused by the sled sliding down the run; the interruption forced the Dutch team to wait for their second run. Competition continued later in the session, and another crew from a different nation lost control about an hour later but its members exited the sled appearing unharmed.
Earlier in the program, Great Britain finished third in heat one behind a Germany one-two, with other early times in the standings including Switzerland 2 (54. 49), Germany 3 (54. 51), Switzerland 1 (54. 53) and Italy 1 (54. 55), as teams tackled a course described as quick and capable of reaching speeds north of 70 miles per hour at around 120 kilometres per hour.
The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games runs from February 6-22, and the four-man event continued after track repairs and the medical evacuation.
