Emergency operation: A bobsleigh accident causes horror

The opening training for the Bobsleigh World Cup in Altenberg on Tuesday was overshadowed by a serious fall.

14. February 2024

From: dpa/det

The Swiss pilot Michael Vogt crashed his four-man bobsleigh shortly before the finish, his pusher Sandro Michel was thrown out of the bobsleigh and shortly afterwards hit by the sled. The 27-year-old had to undergo emergency surgery in Dresden, but is now stable and out of danger. Vogt suffered a severe concussion.

According to initial findings, Michel was thrown out of the sled and hit with full force at the finish by the 210 kg four-man sled sliding backwards. He lost consciousness when he fell and was unable to avoid it. Michel was flown by helicopter to the University Hospital in Dresden and operated on in the pelvic and thigh areas, as the Swiss association Swiss-Sliding announced. The exact extent of Michel's injuries, who was also injured in the chest, will be revealed by further examinations on Wednesday.

Criticism of the organizer

The 26-year-old Vogt also spent the night in a local hospital. The World Cup, which begins the week after next in Winterberg, should no longer be an issue. The other two pushers, Dominik Hufschmid and Andreas Haas, escaped with minor injuries. The German two-man bobsleigh world champion Johannes Lochner also fell in his four-man bobsleigh on the same section of the track and has to miss the World Cup this weekend. It is still unclear whether the World Cup leader and co-favorite will be able to take part in the upcoming World Cup in Winterberg.

Afterwards there was also criticism of the organizers. They prepared the already very demanding track in the Erzgebirge particularly quickly this year. In addition, there were no precautions to prevent the bobsleigh from sliding backwards on the uphill finish. The athletes therefore planned a meeting this week to discuss measures.

Schlagwörter: Winter sports Bob risk of death