Chris Horn’s Bobsled Adventure in St. Moritz
American bobsledder Chris Horn experienced a nerve-wracking descent during the World Cup race in St. Moritz, Switzerland on Sunday. He started his four-person sled without three of his teammates who couldn’t get on board in time.
Horn, as the driver, was the first to enter the sled, but his teammates—Ryan Reagor, Hunter Powell, and Caleb Farnell—faced difficulties getting in. As a result, Horn had to make the run alone, without the usual weight and without anyone to help with braking.
The mishap seemed to start with Reagor, whose stumble triggered a chain reaction.
Powel was notably thrown towards the track’s wall, landing roughly on the hard ice, while Farnell also struggled to get onto the sled.
The team later confirmed that none of the U.S. sliders suffered serious injuries, and all X-rays returned negative.
“It feels a bit sore,” Powell mentioned, indicating he should recover soon.
With no added weight, Horn’s sled didn’t go as fast as usual, but he still hit speeds of around 75 miles per hour in just over a minute.
Once he crossed the finish line, Horn calmly ran to the back of the sled to pull the brakes.
Other athletes and coaches from various teams rushed to ensure Horn was okay as the sled came to a stop. Many were seen shaking their heads in disbelief and offering him congratulatory handshakes.
Horn, who initially began as a brakeman, knew the situation well but took a moment to show he was alright to a nearby camera.
“We were fortunate that nothing worse happened,” shared USA Bobsled head coach Chris Vogt in a message.
It had been a difficult weekend for Horn, as he had also crashed during a previous two-man World Cup race on Saturday.
Carsten Visseling, who was supposed to be the brakeman, suffered a scrape and couldn’t participate in the four-person race, prompting Reagor to fill in.
With one more World Cup weekend remaining before U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton select teams for next month’s Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Horn is likely to be named a driver alongside Frank Del Duca.
