Bobsleigh at the Winter Olympics facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bobsleigh at the Winter Olympics
Governing body	IBSF
Events	4 (men: 2; women: 2)
Games
1924 1928 1932 1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018
Medalists

Bobsleigh is an exciting winter sport where teams race down a winding ice track in a special sled. The goal is to finish the course faster than any other team. It's like a super-fast, icy roller coaster! Bobsleigh has been a part of almost every Winter Olympic Games since the very first one in 1924 in Chamonix, France. The only time it was not included was in 1960, because building a track was too expensive.

Originally, teams of four men competed. In 1928, it was even a five-man race! The two-man event joined the Olympics in 1932. Later, women's bobsleigh became an Olympic sport, with the two-woman event starting in 2002.

The Thrilling History of Olympic Bobsleigh

Bobsleigh has a long and exciting history at the Winter Olympics. It first appeared at the inaugural games in 1924. Back then, only the four-man event was held. Interestingly, in 1928, it was a five-man competition!

The two-man bobsleigh event was added in 1932. For many years, these two events were the main bobsleigh competitions. A big change happened in 2002 when the two-woman event made its debut. This was a huge step for women in the sport!

Most recently, the women's monobob event was introduced at the 2022 Winter Olympics. This event features a single athlete piloting the sled. The sport continues to evolve, offering more opportunities for athletes to compete.

Bobsleigh Events: Teams and Sleds

In bobsleigh, teams race down a special ice track. The sleds are designed for speed and control. There are different types of races, based on the number of people in the sled:

• Four-man bobsleigh: This is the oldest event, featuring a pilot, two pushers, and a brakeman. It has been part of almost every Winter Olympics since 1924.
• Two-man bobsleigh: This event has a pilot and a brakeman. It was introduced in 1932.
• Two-woman bobsleigh: Women's teams, with a pilot and a brakewoman, first competed in 2002.
• Women's monobob: This is the newest event, added in 2022. In monobob, one woman acts as both pilot and brakewoman, showing incredible skill and strength.

Top Bobsleigh Champions: Medal Winners

Kevin Kuske (left) and André Lange (pilot) are the most successful Olympic bobsledders, both have five medals, of which four are gold medals attained in three consecutive Olympics.

Bogdan Musiol (brakeman) won seven Olympic medals (one gold, five silvers and one bronze in four consecutive Olympics).

Many amazing athletes have shown incredible talent in bobsleigh. Here are some of the top medal winners who have earned multiple medals, including at least one gold, at the Winter Olympics.

Men

Athlete	NOC	Event	Olympics	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
Margis, ThorstenThorsten Margis	Germany	4-man 2-man	2018–2026	5	0	0	5
Friedrich, FrancescoFrancesco Friedrich	Germany	4-man 2-man	2018–2026	4	2	0	6
Kuske, KevinKevin Kuske	Germany	4-man 2-man	2002–2018	4	2	0	6
Lange, AndréAndré Lange	Germany	4-man 2-man	2002–2010	4	1	0	5
Germeshausen, BernhardBernhard Germeshausen	East Germany	4-man 2-man	1976–1980	3	1	0	4
Nehmer, MeinhardMeinhard Nehmer	East Germany	4-man 2-man	1976–1980	3	0	1	4
Hoppe, WolfgangWolfgang Hoppe	East Germany  Germany	4-man 2-man	1984–1994	2	3	1	6
Monti, EugenioEugenio Monti	Italy	4-man 2-man	1956, 1964–1968	2	2	2	6
Acklin, DonatDonat Acklin	Switzerland	4-man 2-man	1992–1994	2	1	1	4
Weder, GustavGustav Weder	Switzerland	4-man 2-man	1992–1994	2	1	1	4
Zimmermann, MarkusMarkus Zimmermann	Germany	4-man 2-man	1992–2002	2	1	1	4
Schauerhammer, DietmarDietmar Schauerhammer	East Germany	4-man 2-man	1984–1988	2	1	0	3
Langen, ChristophChristoph Langen	Germany	4-man 2-man	1992, 1998–2002	2	0	2	4
Bauer, CandyCandy Bauer	Germany	4-man	2018-2022	2	0	0	2
De Paolis, LucianoLuciano De Paolis	Italy	4-man 2-man	1968	2	0	0	2
Fiske, BillyBilly Fiske	United States	4-man 5-man	1928–1932	2	0	0	2
Gray, CliffordClifford Gray	United States	4-man 5-man	1928–1932	2	0	0	2
Hampel, OlafOlaf Hampel	Germany	4-man	1994–1998	2	0	0	2
Nieberl, LorenzLorenz Nieberl	West Germany	4-man 2-man	1952	2	0	0	2
Ostler, AndreasAndreas Ostler	West Germany	4-man 2-man	1952	2	0	0	2
Musiol, BogdanBogdan Musiol	East Germany  Germany	4-man 2-man	1980–1992	1	5	1	7
Benz, JosephJoseph Benz	Switzerland	4-man 2-man	1976–1980	1	2	1	4
Lehmann, BernhardBernhard Lehmann	East Germany	4-man 2-man	1976, 1984–1988	1	2	1	4
Schärer, ErichErich Schärer	Switzerland	4-man 2-man	1976–1980	1	2	1	4
Steven Holcomb	United States	4-man 2-man	2010–2014	1	2	0	3
Martin, PatrickPatrick Martin	United States	4-man 2-man	1948–1952	1	2	0	3
Zimmerer, WolfgangWolfgang Zimmerer	West Germany	4-man 2-man	1972–1976	1	1	2	4
Beerli, JosephJoseph Beerli	Switzerland	4-man 2-man	1936	1	1	0	2
Gerhardt, Hans-JürgenHans-Jürgen Gerhardt	East Germany	4-man 2-man	1980	1	1	0	2
Lueders, PierrePierre Lueders	Canada	2-man	1994–2006	1	1	0	2
Meier, KurtKurt Meier	Switzerland	4-man	1988–1994	1	1	0	2
O'Brien, JayJay O'Brien	United States	4-man 5-man	1928–1932	1	1	0	2
Putze, MartinMartin Putze	Germany	4-man	2006–2010	1	1	0	2
Tomasevicz, CurtisCurtis Tomasevicz	United States	4-man	2010–2014	1	1	0	2
Hefti, BeatBeat Hefti	Switzerland	4-man 2-man	2002–2016, 2014	1	0	3	4
Melbārdis, OskarsOskars Melbārdis	Latvia	4-man 2-man	2014–2018	1	0	2	3
Utzschneider, PeterPeter Utzschneider	West Germany	4-man 2-man	1972–1976	1	0	2	3
Wicki, JeanJean Wicki	Switzerland	4-man 2-man	1968–1972	1	0	2	3
Embach, CarstenCarsten Embach	Germany	4-man	1994–2002	1	0	1	2
Hubacher, EdyEdy Hubacher	Switzerland	4-man 2-man	1972	1	0	1	2
Huber, GüntherGünther Huber	Italy	2-man	1994–1998	1	0	1	2
Ķipurs, JānisJānis Ķipurs	Soviet Union	4-man 2-man	1988	1	0	1	2
Kirchner, AndreasAndreas Kirchner	East Germany	4-man	1980–1984	1	0	1	2
Koslov, VladimirVladimir Koslov	Soviet Union	4-man 2-man	1988	1	0	1	2
Kripps, JustinJustin Kripps	Canada	4-man 2-man	2018–2022	1	0	1	2
Strenga, JānisJānis Strenga	Latvia	4-man 2-man	2014–2018	1	0	1	2
Wetzig, RolandRoland Wetzig	East Germany	4-man	1980–1984	1	0	1	2

Women

Athlete	NOC	Event	Olympics	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
Humphries, KaillieKaillie Humphries	Canada  United States	2-woman	2010–2022	3	0	1	4
Moyse, HeatherHeather Moyse	Canada	2-woman	2010–2014	2	0	0	2
Kiriasis, SandraSandra Kiriasis	Germany	2-woman	2002–2010	1	1	0	2
Jamanka, MariamaMariama Jamanka	Germany	2-woman	2018–2022	1	1	0	2

Elana Meyers Taylor from the United States has won more Olympic bobsleigh medals than any other woman. She earned five medals (three silver and two bronze) between 2010 and 2022.

Nations with the Most Bobsleigh Medals

This table shows which countries have won the most medals in bobsleigh at the Winter Olympics. The information is up-to-date following the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Germany	19	13	8	40
2	Switzerland	10	10	12	32
3	United States	9	11	11	31
4	East Germany	5	5	3	13
5	Canada	5	2	4	11
6	Italy	4	4	4	12
7	West Germany	1	3	2	6
8	Austria	1	2	0	3
9	Great Britain	1	1	3	5
10	Latvia	1	0	2	3
	Soviet Union	1	0	2	3
12	Belgium	0	1	1	2
	Russia	0	1	1	2
14	South Korea	0	1	0	1
15	France	0	0	1	1
	Romania	0	0	1	1
Totals (16 entries)		57	54	55	166

See also

In Spanish: Bobsleigh en los Juegos Olímpicos para niños

• List of Olympic venues in bobsleigh