Germany's renowned bobsledder Francesco Friedrich is on track to secure yet another world championship title, as he took an early advantage at Friday's four-man competition at Mount Van Hoevenberg. However, apart from Friedrich's strong performance, the day's events quickly became unpredictable and chaotic.
The situation began to deteriorate as temperatures rose rapidly from about -4°C during the start of the competition to around 8°C by the completion of the morning's event. Despite the track boasting an artificial refrigeration system, conditions worsened significantly, leading to noticeable damage. German competitor Johannes Lochner experienced direct consequences of these track issues, with one runner on his sled damaged after sliding across exposed patches. Additionally, unrelated damage occurred on Lochner's sled at the launch of his run.
After the completion of the second heat, however, officials from the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) decided to cancel its results altogether due to these deteriorating track conditions. The IBSF jury explained that the track had degraded too severely during the warming conditions, making the results invalid.
Had the second heat been officially counted, the standings would have been significantly different—Britain's Brad Hall would have occupied second place, Germany's Adam Ammour third, and American athletes Frank Del Duca and Kris Horn occupying fourth and fifth spots respectively, with Lochner down to sixth place. With the cancellation decision, however, Friedrich remains first, Lochner second, and Hall is positioned third; Ammour, Del Duca, Horn and South Korea’s Jinsu Kim follow afterward.
Officials now plan to extend the competition into Saturday as originally scheduled, beginning at 8 a.m., although weather forecasts indicate the possibility of even higher temperatures ahead. Meanwhile, the women's two-person bobsled event was scheduled to begin later on Friday and finish Saturday afternoon.
8 Comments
Muchacha
Tough breaks for some, but ultimately a justified call. Athletes shouldn't be penalized by deteriorating track conditions.
Mariposa
Totally understandable decision by the jury—no athlete should lose because heat and damaged ice compromised their run.
Cerebro
Clearly, the federation’s priority was fairness. Athletes can't control the weather, but IBSF can control safety protocol adherence.
Manolo Noriega
Conditions were truly dangerous. Grateful nobody was injured due to timely intervention from officials and jury members.
Fuerza
How can a major event let the track deteriorate this badly? Poor planning and management from the organizers.
Noir Black
These warming weather events are tough—officials handled this mess with fairness and professionalism, commendable action.
Eugene Alta
IBSF messed this one up badly. Athletes deserve consistent and fair conditions—this fiasco undermines the sport.
Katchuka
Another disappointing sports moment ruined by terrible event organization and bizarre decisions.