The incident took place on Saturday, February 21, on the Olympic track in Cortina. The Austrian machine, accelerated to 115 km/h, lost traction at the exit of turn nine. The bobsled fell on its side and slid down the chute with great force, repeatedly hitting the rails, reports “Bild”.
Although the three remaining crew members (responsible for pushing the bob) managed to quickly leave the machine under their own power and did not suffer any visible injuries, the pilot’s situation was much more serious. Jakob Mandlbauer remained on the track, which triggered an immediate response from the emergency services.
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There was a nervous silence in the facility for several minutes. The broadcasters did not show any close-ups of the injured person, and the fans were waiting for any information about the Austrian’s health condition.
After first aid was administered on site, Mandlbauer was carried off the track on a stretcher. The pilot was conscious, but for safety reasons his head was immobilized and a cervical collar was placed around his neck. The rescuers covered the athlete with thermal foil, and then the ambulance transported him to a nearby hospital.
A spokesman for the Austrian team issued a short message reassuring fans:
– Jakob is conscious and has feeling in his limbs, which is the most important information. However, he complains of severe pain around the neck, he said, quoted by “Bild”.
Saturday’s competition turned out to be extremely unlucky. At the end of the second series, another accident occurred – this time the French bobsled led by Romain Heinrich capsized. In this case, however, it ended in fear; the entire team left the track on their own.
