Austria Bobsleigh driver Jakob Mandlbauer was stretchered off after being left upside down following a horrifying high-speed crash. The 27-year-old came off worst in heat two of the four-man which came off after taking a left turn and after over 15 minutes, the medical team carried off the Austrian driver.
Horrified onlookers watched on after the Austrian Bobsleigh team crashed, forcing the four-man to career down the ice for a period. Three of the Austrian team managed to escape the bobsleigh but there was a lengthy delay as the medical crew stabilised the driver. Footage showed the Canadian team, who had just completed their run, looking concerned after replays showed the bobsleigh overturning on the left.
The crash saw the Austrian side slide down the track and to within touching distance of the finish line, however they didn’t cross the line and were disqualified from the four-man competition. The Dutch Bobsleigh team were forced to wait for their second run after a track suspension. They managed to navigate the Cortina course without hiccup following a, potentially, debilitating delay.
The delay allowed for the course team to repair some of the damage caused by the Bobsleigh flying down the course upside down. Great Britain had a superb start in heat one as they finished third behind a Germany one-two.
They were the third runners and made a strong challenge, with their closest rivals Switzerland 2 (54.49), Germany 3 (54.51), Switzerland 1 (54.53), and Italy 1 (54.55) trailing behind. In heat two, the field was flipped and those who featured last went first in the competition.
The Milano Cortina course has been described as a quick course and teams were reaching speeds north of 70 miles per hour at around 120 kilometres per hour.
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