CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — The U.S. may have only one sled in an Olympic two-man bobsled competition for the first time in the nearly century-long history of the event, after the sport's governing body denied an appeal to give American driver Kris Horn a spot in that event at the Milan Cortina Games.
Horn finished only four two-man races this season, and International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation rules required five finishes for Olympic eligibility. Horn and USA Bobsled appealed on several points, including how the World Cup schedule had one fewer race this year than many other Olympic seasons and how his training schedule before a race weekend in Latvia this season was limited compared to other pilots.
But the IBSF's appeals tribunal ruled last week that the five-race minimum cannot be ignored even though USA Bobsled earned two spots in the two-man Olympic field. Those spots are given to nations, not individual drivers. And that meant Horn can't qualify.
“The rules are clear,” the appeals tribunal said in the ruling, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press.
Horn will compete in the four-man event at the Olympics, as will USA-1 pilot Frank Del Duca — one of the U.S. flag bearers for the opening ceremony of these Milan Cortina Games. But Del Duca, for now, appears to be the only American pilot in the two-man race.
The U.S. has won seven Olympic medals in the two-man event: gold and bronze in 1932, gold and bronze again in 1936, bronze in 1948, silver in 1952 and, most recently, a silver by Steven Holcomb and Steven Langton at the Sochi Games in 2014.
The Americans have been part of all 21 previous Olympic two-man races, with two sleds in those fields on 17 occasions and three sleds four other times.
Horn earned some notoriety last month when he and his team had issues loading into their four-man sled for a run at St. Moritz, Switzerland. Horn's three push athletes unsuccessfully tried to get in, leaving him to drive down the track himself and then needing to scurry backward after crossing the finish to pull the brakes and avoid what could have been a tragic crash.
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
