Bobsleigh at the Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026

[De_Gambassi 1,333]

4 minutes ago, Rich said:

Going back to earlier, I think men's bobsleigh needs to be limited to two entrants per nation. It's a great event to watch but it's very expensive and one nation winning all the medals is a real disincentive to the rest of the world to spend on it. It feels like German investment in the sport is rewarded not only by their own success but also by suppressing any rivals. I'll be cheering for anybody to break their monopoly.

Generally speaking, I don't understand how IOC is that confortable with olympic sports being that much dominated by one country. To the point when they actively discourage other countries to build new tracks.

 

It's really weird.

[Micki 38]

11 minutes ago, Rich said:

Going back to earlier, I think men's bobsleigh needs to be limited to two entrants per nation. It's a great event to watch but it's very expensive and one nation winning all the medals is a real disincentive to the rest of the world to spend on it. It feels like German investment in the sport is rewarded not only by their own success but also by suppressing any rivals. I'll be cheering for anybody to break their monopoly.

I think in bobsleigh it mostly comes down to the sled — the equipment should be standardized like in monobob.

[Epic Failure 364]

I don't think the IOC particularly does love it when one nation dominates events in that way.

 

But I suspect (with no evidence except my own conspiracy theory ) that they tolerate it a bit more when the nation is not also dominant in a lot of other sports. Germany has been on a downward trend in the Summer Games since unification and that, coupled with their advantages in Winter Sports (both natural and in funding etc) over many other nations, probably means they are allowed a bit of leeway. I suspect the same leeway is given to, say, Norway. 

 

I think if these events were all being dominated by the US and China, they might be quicker to limit it to 2 per nation. 

[hckošice 16,364]

M 2-Man Bob Run 3 Start List Here

[Surreal 22]

Swiss commentator's words while commentating on Israeli athlete Adam Edelman yesterday:

 

"Adam Edelman, competing in the Olympic Games for the first time, who describes himself as “a Zionist to the core,” I quote, and who has posted several messages on social media in support of the genocide in Gaza. It should be noted that “genocide” is the term used by the UN commission of inquiry on the region.

Edelman notably stated, regarding the Israeli military intervention—again, I quote: “This is the most morally just war in history.”

He also mocked a “Free Palestine” inscription on a wall in Lillehammer, on the sidelines of a World Cup event. He further asked his followers to send “strength” to Ward Farwarsey when this member of the Israeli team—present here in Cortina—was involved in an Israeli army operation in the Gaza Strip in 2023.

At this point, one may question his presence in Cortina during these Games, since the IOC had indicated that athletes who, I quote, “actively supported the war by participating in pro-war events, being militarily engaged, or through their activities on social media, were not eligible to participate."

This rule concerned Russian athletes, in this case, in order to allow some of them to compete under a neutral banner."

Respect to the commentator, that takes some serious balls.