Frequently the most popular event at the Winter Olympics, the Bobsleigh will be amongst the most fiercely contested events in Pyeongchang this year when the games get underway in February.
When most people think of bobsleigh the image from the popular cult film "Cool Runnings" springs to mind, of four people hurtling around a track in a metal sledge. However, there is a lot more to it than simply sitting down and hoping for the best. With bobsleighs reaching speeds of up to 93mph it takes a great deal of skill and strength to be able to effectively control the sleighs and in the past, people have suffered very serious injuries.
Bobsleigh has been an event in the Winter Olympics ever since the first-ever Games back in 1924 and has seen athletes from a whole host of countries take part over the years. The event consists of teams of two or four making timed runs down a narrow and twisting ice track with the times then combined to give an overall score. The team with the fastest time wins.
The fastest ever bobsleigh time at the Olympics was recorded at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City when the USA’s two woman's team recorded a time of 1:37.76 to take gold, the first time a USA team had won a medal in bobsleigh since 1956.
The most successful nation when it comes to bobsleigh is Germany, who have won 21 medals in total, 10 of which have been gold. Although Switzerland has more medals than Germany, with 31, fewer of them are gold meaning Germany tops the all-time medal table.
Currently, Britain sits ninth on the medal table with a total of four medals, and their only gold in bobsleigh came in the two-man event at the 1964 Games in Innsbruck. Anthony Nash and Robin Thomas Dixon were the heroes who made history in that year and the British team heading to Pyeongchang will be hoping they can follow in their footsteps.
Team GB head into the event in good form as the four men team, piloted by Lamin Deen, won a silver at the Bobsleigh World Cup in November. The competition will be fierce with Canada being the team to beat from 2014.
Canada took home gold in the two-woman event, but this was their only bobsleigh medal, the USA had the most with four (one silver and three bronzes) but failed to score gold. Russia actually would have topped the bobsleigh table as their two-man and four-man teams were both victorious but have since been disqualified and stripped of their medals due to doping allegations. The organisers in 2018 will be hoping there is no such controversy this time around.
Nations will discover on the 18th of January if they have qualified for the Olympics with the top 40 seeds eligible for qualification. One of the biggest stories of the qualification period so far has been the Nigerian women’s team who are on the verge of a historic first appearance at the Winter Olympics should they manage to qualify.
With just over a month to go until the Winter Olympics get underway, now is the perfect time to book an Olympic speaker for your next event or conference. For more information on all of the superb winter Olympians we have on our roster, get in touch by calling 0207 1010 553 or complete the online form.
Mark has worked closely with some of the world’s most prestigious brands, including F1, Deloitte, American Express, McDonalds, HSBC and Samsung since joining us in 2017. With a degree in Business Management and Sports Science from the University of Worcester, he has brought vast experience to his role as a Senior Keynote Speaker Executive at Champions Speakers.
Working with some of the biggest names in media and sport, from Tyson Fury to Sir Bradley Wiggins, as well as the likes of Ruud Gullit and Gabriel Batistuta for the Football Achievers Awards in China Mark has formed relationships with countless household names internationally. Sport isn't the only field where Mark excels. He has also arranged events with the likes of Oscar Salazar, Jonas Kjellberg and Ken Segall.
When he's not booking in top-class speaker talent, Mark enjoys winding up fellow executive, Matthew Holmes. Outside of the workplace, he has played high level Rugby and Cricket and is a master baker having won the ‘Cake Club of the Year Award’.
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