Germany's Johannes Lochner storms to a big early lead in Olympic four-man bobsled
#Johannes Lochner#Four-man bobsled#Milan Cortina 2026#Olympic gold#Cortina d'Ampezzo#Francesco Friedrich#Bobsled history#American team
📌 Key Takeaways
Lochner established a 0.39-second lead in the first run of four-man bobsled
The German team is aiming for double gold medals at these Olympics
American bobsledder Kris Horn placed eighth after the first heat
Austrian pilot Jakob Mandlbauer crashed during the competition
Lochner is on track to make Olympic history by potentially sweeping all eight heats
📖 Full Retelling
German bobsled pilot Johannes Lochner and his team stormed to a commanding early lead in the four-man bobsled competition at the Milan Cortina Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy on February 21, 2026, as the veteran athlete moves closer to achieving his goal of ending his Olympic career with double gold medals. Lochner, piloting a sled with teammates Thorsten Margis, Jorn Wenzel and Georg Fleischhauer, completed the first run of the four-heat event in 53.91 seconds, establishing a significant 0.39-second advantage over four-time Olympic champion and fellow German Francesco Friedrich. The performance continues Lochner's dominance at the Cortina track, where he has won all nine competitive runs since the venue opened last fall. The second heat was scheduled for later Saturday, with the medal-deciding runs set for Sunday, the final day of the Games. The American team saw mixed results in the first heat, with Kris Horn sliding into eighth place alongside Caleb Furnell, Hunter Powell and Carsten Vissering, just 0.21 seconds behind the bronze-medal position. Frank Del Duca, who served as a U.S. flag bearer during the opening ceremony, finished 14th after starting 27th in the 27-sled field. The competition faced a brief delay when Austrian pilot Jakob Mandlbauer lost control and crashed toward the bottom of the track, necessitating his transport to a nearby hospital for evaluation.
🏷️ Themes
Olympic Competition, German Dominance, Historical Achievement
Francesco Friedrich (born 2 May 1990) is a German bobsledder who has been active since 2006. At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, he and his brakeman Thorsten Margis tied with Canada's Justin Kripps and Alexander Kopacz for the gold medal in the two-man competition. Friedrich als...
Johannes Lochner (born 15 October 1990) is a German bobsledder who competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics and the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing where he won two silver medals.
Johannes Lochner's early lead puts him on track for a historic double Olympic gold, a rare achievement that could cement his legacy as one of the sport's all-time greats. His performance also highlights Germany's dominance in bobsled and raises the stakes for competitors as the event progresses.
Context & Background
Germany has a storied bobsled history with multiple Olympic champions
Lochner has won every competitive race at Cortina since the track opened
The 0.39-second lead is the largest after one run since 1952
A crash by Austrian pilot Jakob Mandlbauer delayed the second heat
Only the top 20 sleds after three heats qualify for Sunday's final run
What Happens Next
The second heat will resume later Saturday, followed by the final three runs on Sunday that will determine medal positions. If Lochner maintains his advantage, he could finish with a clean sweep of all eight heats, joining a select group of athletes who have achieved this.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a sweep of all eight heats mean?
It means the pilot wins every run in both the two-man and four-man events at the Olympics.
How many athletes have achieved this before?
Only four athletes have ever swept all eight heats: Anderl Ostler, Wolfgang Hoppe, Andre Lange, and Francesco Friedrich.
What happened to Jakob Mandlbauer?
He crashed toward the bottom of the track, was taken off the track on a stretcher, and was transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation.
Original Source
Germany's Johannes Lochner storms to a big early lead in Olympic four-man bobsled Johannes Lochner grabs a big early lead in Olympic four-man bobsled and moves closer to double gold By TIM REYNOLDS AP sports writer February 21, 2026, 5:24 AM CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy -- No surprise: Germany's Johannes Lochner is off to a big early lead in the four-man bobsled race at the Milan Cortina Games. And he's well on his way to ending his career with double Olympic gold. Lochner and his team — Thorsten Margis, Jorn Wenzel and Georg Fleischhauer — finished their first run of the four-heat event Saturday morning in 53.91 seconds. That was 0.39 seconds faster than the time posted by four-time Olympic champion and fellow German Francesco Friedrich in the first heat. Brad Hall of Britain is third after one run, 0.48 seconds off the pace. The second heat is later Saturday and the medal-deciding runs are Sunday — the final day of the Games. For the U.S., Kris Horn — who couldn't compete in two-man at these Olympics because he didn't finish enough races in the World Cup season — finally got his Games underway and is tied for eighth after one run, just 0.21 seconds back of the bronze-medal spot. Horn is sliding with Caleb Furnell, Hunter Powell and Carsten Vissering. Frank Del Duca, an opening ceremony flag-bearer for the U.S. who started 27th in the 27-sled field — meaning he got some seriously chewed-up ice to deal with in his opening run — is 14th for the Americans. Del Duca has Boone Niederhofer, Bryan Sosoo and Josh Williamson in his sled. Jamaica, always a fan favorite at the Olympics and these games are no exception, is 23rd after one heat. Only the top 20 sleds after three heats qualify for the final run on Sunday. The second heat was delayed for about 20 minutes after Austrian pilot Jakob Mandlbauer lost control of his sled and crashed toward the bottom portion of the track. Mandlbauer was taken off the track on a stretcher and brought by ambulance to a nearby hospital for ev...
