A 4-man bobsled for Team Austria tipped over while making a turn, resulting in driver Jakob Mandlbauer being stretchered off the course and taken to a hospital. (REUTERS/Annegret Hilse)
(REUTERS / Reuters)
Austrian bobsledder Jakob Mandlbauer was hospitalized following his team’s crash during the second heat of Saturday’s 4-man bobsled competition.
Mandlbauer, 27, was the driver of the Austrian bobsled, making a left turn on Curve 7 when the sled tipped onto its side and lost control on the track. Teammates Daniel Bertschler, Sebastian Mitterer and Daiyehan Nichols-Bardi ducked into the bobsled to protect their heads.
Unfortunately, Mandlbauer didn’t avoid injury and was quickly attended to by medical personnel as the race was delayed by 20 minutes. The driver was feeling neck pain, according to the Austrian team.
The other three members of Austria’s 4-man bobsled team — Daiyehan Nichols-Bardi, Daniel Bertschler and Sebastian Mitterer (R) — suffered no apparent injuries after a crash that required driver Jakob Mandlbauer to be taken away by stretcher. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP via Getty Images)
(TIZIANA FABI via Getty Images)
Mandlbauer was taken from the course on a stretcher and rushed to a hospital. However, he is apparently OK after being checked as a precaution, according to Austrian officials.
“Jakob is on his way to hospital,” Austrian team press attaché Christoph Iglhauser told The Athletic. “He’s not so bad. It’s just a check. Everyone else is fine.”
Austrian news outlet Krone reported that Mandlbauer showed movement in his legs, arms and head.
The Austrian team was not the only one to tip over during the race. Bobsleds for France and Trinidad and Tobago also tipped over as they attempted to navigate Curve 7, a U-shaped turn on the course.
U.S. bobsledder Frank Del Duca crashed during a training run, though his accident occurred at Curve 4, The Athletic reported. Teammate Charlie Volker suffered a concussion in that crash and subsequently retired from competition.
Neither the French team nor the Trinidad and Tobago team suffered any apparent injuries, with their athletes able to walk away from their respective accidents. But all three teams that crashed were not able to cross the finish line and were thus listed as “Did Not Finish” in the final results. Germany took all three top spots in Heat 2.