Bobsleigh crash leaves Winter Olympics spectators horrified as driver stretchered away
Austrian bobsleigh driver Jakob Mandlbauer received urgent medical attention after a high-speed crash during the four-man event at Milano Cortina 2026, causing a 15-minute delay as he was stretchered off the track
Jakob Mandlbauer was stretchered off after a high-speed crash in the men’s four-man Bobsleigh.(Image: Getty Images)
Austrian bobsleigh pilot Jakob Mandlbauer was carried away on a stretcher after being trapped upside down following a terrifying high-speed collision.
The 27-year-old bore the brunt of the impact during the second heat of the four-man competition after navigating a left-hand corner, causing a stoppage of more than 15 minutes whilst the medical team attended to the Austrian driver.
The four-man sled had reached speeds of 117 kilometres per hour as it entered the final section of the track before losing control on the left-hand curve and veering off line.
Shocked spectators looked on as the Austrian bobsleigh squad crashed, sending the four-man along the ice for some time.
Three members of the Austrian crew managed to get clear of the bobsleigh but there was an extended delay whilst the medical staff stabilised the pilot. The competitors were observed moving the sled whilst medical personnel made their way across the ice, with some losing their footing as they treated Mandlbauer.
Video footage captured the Canadian squad, who had just finished their descent, appearing worried after replays revealed the bobsleigh flipping over on the bend.
The accident resulted in the Austrian team sliding along the course to almost within reach of the finishing line, but they failed to complete the run and were eliminated from the four-man event.
The Dutch Bobsleigh team were left hanging for their second run following a track suspension. They successfully navigated the Cortina course without a hitch after a potentially crippling delay.
Austria’s run was the third since the restart for heat two. The pause allowed the course team to mend some of the damage caused by a Bobsleigh hurtling down the course upside down.
Great Britain had an excellent start in heat one, finishing third behind a German one-two.
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They were the third runners and put up a strong challenge, with their nearest competitors Switzerland 2 (54.49), Germany 3 (54.51), Switzerland 1 (54.53), and Italy 1 (54.55) lagging behind. In heat two, the order was reversed and those who went last in the first heat led the competition.
The Milano Cortina course has been described as a fast track, with teams hitting speeds over 70 miles-per-hour, roughly 120 kilometres-per-hour. After failing to complete the run, the Austrians slid back into the middle of the course.
“I think it’s the driver, I think he’s so far forward that they can’t lift the sled from the wall,” the commentary team noted on TNT Sports.
“The others are all sort of buried in the sled, the driver who has his head out most and in a crash, he tries to get out as quickly as he can but you are doing 70, 80, 90 miles an hour and being bounced around.”
The French team also crashed later in heat two but all four managed to escape unscathed.
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