Johannes Lochner, the German bobsledder who had previously announced his retirement, ended his career on a high note by clinching his second gold medal at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics. Lochner secured victory in the four-man bobsleigh event, outpacing two-time defending Olympic champion Francesco Friedrich by 0.57 seconds in the final sliding competition of the Games.
Switzerland also made it to the podium, with Michael Vogt edging out Germany’s Adam Ammour in the last run to claim the bronze medal, while Ammour settled for fourth place. Lochner completed the four runs in three minutes and 37.57 seconds, with Friedrich finishing in 3:38.14, Vogt in 3:38.64, and Ammour in 3:38.68.
In the top U.S. performances, Kris Horn led the American sled, finishing 11th alongside Caleb Furnell, Hunter Powell, and Carsten Vissering. Frank Del Duca secured the 12th position with Boone Niederhofer, Bryan Sosoo, and Josh Williamson in his sled.
The final bobsleigh medal count for the Winter Olympics stood at Germany 8, U.S. 3, Switzerland 1, and no other countries earning medals in the sport. The overall medal count for all three sliding sports, including skeleton and luge, was equally dominated by Germany with 19 medals, followed by Austria with 5, Italy with 4, and the U.S., Britain, Switzerland, and Latvia with fewer medals.
If Lochner, Friedrich, and Ammour were considered a combined team, they would have tied for the top spot in the sliding medal standings, having collectively won five medals. Lochner’s achievement of sweeping both men’s bobsleigh events in a single Olympics placed him alongside a prestigious list of six other pilots who have accomplished this feat in the past.
Reflecting on Germany’s bobsleigh success at the Games, two-woman Olympic champion Laura Nolte expressed joy in the team’s performance, stating, “We are all putting down a show, and it’s fun.”