Bobsleigh at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Four-man

While the IOC does not consider bobsled times eligible for Olympic records, the FIBT does maintain records for both the start and a complete run at each track it competes.

The start and track records were set at the test event for the 2010 Games on 7 February 2009.

On 20 January 2010, the FIBT announced that the following teams had qualified for the 2010 Games:{{FIBT link|url1 = http://www.fibt.com/index.php?id=88&tx_ttnews|bracket1 = tt_news|url2 = =1156&tx_ttnews|bracket2 = backPid|url3 = =2&cHash=7b2d9e0c5e|title = FIBT Announces Olympic Qualifying Quotas.}} (20 January 2010 article accessed 21 January 2010.)[http://www.fibt.com/fileadmin/Newsletter_PDFs/4-man%20Quota.pdf FIBT bobsleigh four-man quotas for the 2010 Winter Olympics.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120913083504/http://www.fibt.com/fileadmin/Newsletter_PDFs/4-man%20Quota.pdf |date=2012-09-13 }} 20 January 2010. Accessed 21 January 2010. This was finalized on 26 January 2010.{{FIBT link|url1 = http://www.fibt.com/index.php?id=88&tx_ttnews|bracket1 = tt_news|url2 = =1231&tx_ttnews|bracket2 = backPid|url3 = =2&cHash=4d8e3a6464|title = Olympic Quotas Updated After Reallocation.}} (26 January 2010; article accessed 27 January 2010.)[http://fibt.com/fileadmin/Newsletter_PDFs/Olympic%20Quotas_Final/4-man%20Quotas.pdf 26 January 2010 FIBT final quota allocations for bobsleigh four-man at the 2010 Winter Olympics.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710235858/http://fibt.com/fileadmin/Newsletter_PDFs/Olympic%20Quotas_Final/4-man%20Quotas.pdf |date=10 July 2011 }} Accessed 27 January 2010.

;Three teams

• {{flagIOC|GER|2010 Winter}}, {{flagIOC|RUS|2010 Winter}}, and {{flagIOC|USA|2010 Winter}}.

;Two teams

• {{flagIOC|CAN|2010 Winter}}, {{flagIOC|LAT|2010 Winter}}, {{flagIOC|SUI|2010 Winter}}, and {{flagIOC|CZE|2010 Winter}}.

;One team

• {{flagIOC|GBR|2010 Winter}}, {{flagIOC|POL|2010 Winter}}, {{flagIOC|NED|2010 Winter}}, {{flagIOC|ROU|2010 Winter}}, {{flagIOC|SRB|2010 Winter}}, {{flagIOC|ITA|2010 Winter}}, {{flagIOC|KOR|2010 Winter}}, {{flagIOC|CRO|2010 Winter}}, {{flagIOC|LIE|2010 Winter}},{{flagIOC|JPN|2010 Winter}}, {{flagIOC|AUT|2010 Winter}}, {{flagIOC|AUS|2010 Winter}}, and {{flagIOC|SVK|2010 Winter}}.

Supplemental training was offered on 19 February 2010 to both the two-woman and four-man bobsleigh events out of caution and further preparation for both events that would take place the following week.{{FIBT link|url1 = http://www.fibt.com/index.php?id=88&tx_ttnews|bracket1 = tt_news|url2 = =1326&tx_ttnews|bracket2 = backPid|url3 = =2&cHash=50036f3ec3|title = Supplementary Bobsleigh Training Offered in Whistler.}} (19 February 2010 article accessed 19 February 2010.)

Minor changes were made to the track on 22 February 2010 after bobsleigh four-man teams from Latvia and Croatia rolled over in supplementary training.[https://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news;_ylt=Ar2KzprQgEHzoPhY8e0AvvIjsrV_?slug=reu-bobsleightrack_pix&prov=reuters&type=lgns "Bobsleigh-Whistler track tweaked after further spills".] 22 February 2010. Martyn Herman. Yahoo! Sports. Accessed 23 February 2010. Following a meeting with 11 team captains, training runs were postponed by the FIBT until later that day to adjust the shape of turn 11 so it would be easier for sleds to get through the rest of the track without crashing. FIBT spokesman Don Krone stated that "...some drivers have been experiencing difficulties transitioning from turn 11 to turn 12." As a result, Krone stated that "The FIBT track commission, in conjunction with VANOC and with advice from a number of team captains, are working on the shape of turn 11 to make it easier for drivers to get high enough on 11 to turn 12 so that they can successfully make it through turn 13." Krone also stated that it was common that the profile of corners were changed when it was being used by other sliding disciplines (luge and skeleton).

After track alterations were done on 23 February 2010, the two fastest four-man times were done by Germany's Lange and the United States' Holcomb.[https://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news;_ylt=AhqbH1_hKNRizgMorTNwJg8jsrV_?slug=reu-bobsleighmentraining_pix&prov=reuters&type=lgns "Bobsleigh-Lange quickest in training as track mellows."] 23 February 2010. Yahoo! Sports. Martyn Herman. Accessed 24 February 2010. Australia withdrew its four-man team on 23 February 2010 to two of its crew members, Duncan Harvey and Duncan Pugh, suffering concussions. Australia chef de mission Ian Chesterman stated that the decision was not taken lightly and was done on the side of safety.[https://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news;_ylt=AoWeEzNNm46JPqS2KlxCHDEjsrV_?slug=reu-bobsleighmenaustralia_pix_tv&prov=reuters&type=lgns "Bobsleigh-Concussed Australians out of four-man race."] 23 February 2010. Yahoo! Sports. Martyn Herman. Accessed 24 February 2010. Meanwhile, Latvia's Janis Minins returned to practice on the 23rd in the wake of the emergency surgery on 12 February in the wake of an appendicitis attack.[https://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news;_ylt=AlkGgLtbwQtnUoEM7k_J..4jsrV_?slug=reu-bobsleighmininsappendix_pix&prov=reuters&type=lgns "Bobsleigh-Latvian wildman flies again after hiccup hell".] 23 February 2010. Martyn Herman. Yahoo! Sports. Accessed 24 February 2010. Minis withdrew from the four-man event two days later to crashing twice during practice where one of his crews suffering a concussion and another suffering bruised lungs and elbows.[https://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/bobsled/news?slug=capress-oly_bob_latvia_withdraws-2467691&prov=capress&type=lgns "Latvia withdraws from four-man event".] AP Yahoo! Sports. 25 February 2010. Accessed 27 February 2010.

Lange had the fastest practice times on the 24th with the final two practices taking place on the 25th.{{FIBT link|url1 = http://www.fibt.com/index.php?id=88&tx_ttnews|bracket1 = tt_news|url2 = =1451&tx_ttnews|bracket2 = backPid|url3 = =2&cHash=cf613e7c54|title = dueLange Among Top 4-Man Pilots in Training.}} (24 February 2010 article accessed 25 February 2010.) That same day, Australia withdrew to injuries to Harvey and Pugh of Australia while Edwin van Calker of the Netherlands withdrew due to a lack of confidence of driving the four-man sled during the event. This was also despite no crashes during four-man training had taken place prior to the 24th. The Dutch team supported van Calker's decision on this.

During practice American bobsledder Bill Schuffenhauer was detained by police on 25 February, in the wake of an argument with his fiance, but he was later released for reasons not disclosed by Canadian authorities. Schuffenhauer competed in the four-man event for Mike Kohn's USA-3 sled.[https://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/bobsled/news;_ylt=Ak5IMm5oU1wRDvJvivwjZZMjsrV_?slug=ap-bob-schuffenhauerdetained&prov=ap&type=lgns "US bobsledder detained, released by police".] 25 February 2010. Tom Withers (AP) Yahoo! Sports. Accessed 26 February 2010. USA-3 finished 13th.

The first two runs took place on 26 February at 13:00 PST and 14:45 PST. On 27 February, the final two runs took place at 13:00 PST and 14:40 PST.

Defending world champion Holcomb posted the fastest track times in the first two runs while defending Olympic champion Lange had the fastest start times in the first two runs.{{FIBT link|url1 = http://www.fibt.com/index.php?id=88&tx_ttnews|bracket1 = tt_news|url2 = =1481&tx_ttnews|bracket2 = backPid|url3 = =2&cHash=f3fe8a62e3|title = Holcomb Takes First Day 4-Man Lead.}} (27 February 2010 article accessed 27 February 2010.) Russia-2 driven by Zubkov, the defending four-man silver medalist and bronze medalist in the two-man event at these games, crashed out in the first run when one of his steering ropes broke. Austria-1 and Slovakia-1 also crashed out in the first run, and neither sled started the second run, nor did Russia-2. Second run crashes involved USA-2, Great Britain-1, and Japan-1. USA-2 did not participate in the 3rd run of the event. Lange, the defending Olympic champion, also had the fastest two start times in the final two runs and the fastest track time in the final run while Holcomb had the fastest track time in the third run.{{FIBT link|url1 = http://www.fibt.com/index.php?id=88&tx_ttnews|bracket1 = tt_news|url2 = =1491&tx_ttnews|bracket2 = backPid|url3 = =2&cHash=138af8dc58|title = Holcomb Drives US to 1st 4-Man Gold since 1948.}} (28 February 2010 article accessed 28 February 2010.) Rush was second after three runs, but Lange's fastest track time in the fourth heat allowed the German, with Rödiger replacing Hoppe, to beat the Canadian by 0.01 seconds to win silver. In the final race of his career, Lange did not win a gold medal in an Olympic bobsledding event. It was the first gold medal for the U.S. men in bobsleigh at the Winter Olympics since Francis Tyler's four-man win at St. Moritz in 1948.

In attendance was former NASCAR driver Geoff Bodine, 1986 Daytona 500 winner and co-founder of the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project, who watched one of his sleds driven by Holcomb ("Night Train") win the gold medal.[https://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news;_ylt=At8yHREcg6dF9g.uPzXzOHIjsrV_?slug=reu-bobsleighbodine_interivew_pix&prov=reuters&type=lgns "Bobsleigh-Bodine's NASCAR knowhow speeds U.S."] 25 February 2010. Martyn Herman. Yahoo! Sports. Accessed 28 February 2010. The first Bo-Dyn sleds debuted at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer though it would take eight more years in Salt Lake City before the Americans medaled. Bodine expressed his satisfaction with the project prior to the start of the four-man event.

TR = Track Record. Top finish in each run is in boldface.

|-

| {{sort|99|}} || 3 || align="left"| {{FlagIOC|USA|2010 Winter|USA-2}} || align="left"| John Napier
Christopher Fogt
Steven Langton
Charles Berkeley || 51.30 || 53.41 || {{sort|99.98|DNS}} || {{sort|90.99|}} || {{sort|9:99.96|}} || {{sort|+99.96|}}

|-

| {{sort|99|}} || 9 || align="left"| {{FlagIOC|RUS|2010 Winter|RUS-2}} || align="left"| Alexandr Zubkov
Filipp Yegorov
Petr Moiseev
Dmitry Trunenkov || 52.52 || {{sort|99.97|DNS}} || {{sort|99.99|}} || {{sort|99.99|}} || {{sort|9:99.99|}} || {{sort|+99.97|}}

|-

| {{sort|99|}} || 17 || align="left"| {{FlagIOC|AUT|2010 Winter|AUT-1}} || align="left"| Wolfgang Stampfer
Christian Hackl
Juergen Mayer
Johannes Wipplinger || 53.64 || {{sort|99.98|DNS}} || {{sort|99.98|}} || {{sort|99.98|}} || {{sort|9:99.98|}} || {{sort|+99.98|}}

|-

| {{sort|99|}} || 18 || align="left"| {{FlagIOC|SVK|2010 Winter|SVK-1}} || align="left"| Milan Jagnešák
Marcel Lopuchovský
Petr Narovec
Martin Tešovič || 55.25 || {{sort|99.99|DNS}} || {{sort|99.99|}} || {{sort|99.99|}} || {{sort|9:99.99|}} || {{sort|+99.99|}}

|-

| {{sort|99|}} || - || {{FlagIOC|AUS|2010 Winter|AUS-1}} || align="left"| Jeremy Rolleston
Duncan Harvey
Duncan Pugh
Anthony Ryan || {{sort|99.98|DNS}} || {{sort|99.99|}} || {{sort|99.99|}} || {{sort|99.99|}} || {{sort|9:99.99|}} || {{sort|+99.99|}}

|-

| {{sort|99|}} || - || {{FlagIOC|LAT|2010 Winter|LAT-1}} || align="left"| Jānis Miņins
Daumants Dreiškens
Oskars Melbārdis
Intars Dambis || {{sort|99.98|DNS}} || {{sort|99.99|}} || {{sort|99.99|}} || {{sort|99.99|}} || {{sort|9:99.99|}} || {{sort|+99.99|}}

|-

| {{sort|99|}} || - || {{FlagIOC|LIE|2010 Winter|LIE-1}} || align="left"| Michael Klingler
Jürgen Berginz
Thomas Dürr
Richard Wunder || {{sort|99.98|DNS}} || {{sort|99.99|}} || {{sort|99.99|}} || {{sort|99.99|}} || {{sort|9:99.99|}} || {{sort|+99.99|}}

|-

| {{sort|99|}} || - || {{FlagIOC|NED|2010 Winter|NED-1}} || align="left"| Edwin van Calker
Sybren Jansma
Arnold van Calker
Timothy Beck || {{sort|99.98|DNS}} || {{sort|99.99|}} || {{sort|99.99|}} || {{sort|99.99|}} || {{sort|9:99.99|}} || {{sort|+99.99|}}

|-

| {{sort|99|}} || - || {{FlagIOC|SUI|2010 Winter|SUI-2}} || align="left"| Daniel Schmid
Alex Baumann
Roman Handschin
Christian Aebli || {{sort|99.98|DNS}} || {{sort|99.99|}} || {{sort|99.99|}} || {{sort|99.99|}} || {{sort|9:99.99|}} || {{sort|+99.99|}}

|}

{{reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100408234349/http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-bobsleigh/schedule-and-results/four-man-heat-1_bsm040101aE.html 2010 Winter Olympics results: Four-Man (heat 1)], from https://web.archive.org/web/20091025194336/http://www.vancouver2010.com/; retrieved 2010-02-26.
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100408233951/http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-bobsleigh/schedule-and-results/four-man-heat-2_bsm040102Rq.html 2010 Winter Olympics results: Four-Man (heat 2)], from https://web.archive.org/web/20091025194336/http://www.vancouver2010.com/; retrieved 2010-02-26.
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100513201651/http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-bobsleigh/schedule-and-results/four-man-heat-3_bsm040103Jc.html 2010 Winter Olympics results: Four-Man (heat 3)], from https://web.archive.org/web/20091025194336/http://www.vancouver2010.com/; retrieved 2010-02-26.
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100513212305/http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-bobsleigh/schedule-and-results/four-man-heat-4_bsm040104BO.html 2010 Winter Olympics results: Four-Man (heat 4)], from https://web.archive.org/web/20091025194336/http://www.vancouver2010.com/; retrieved 2010-02-26.

{{Footer Olympic Champions Bobsleigh Four-man}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bobsleigh At The 2010 Winter Olympics - Four-Man}}

Category:Bobsleigh at the 2010 Winter Olympics

Category:Men's bobsleigh at the 2010 Winter Olympics

Category:Men's events at the 2010 Winter Olympics