Bobsleigh pilot hospitalised after terrifying Winter Olympics crash

Austrian bobsleigh pilot Jakob Mandlbauer was stretchered away from the Winter Olympics and hospitalised after a serious crash in the four-man final.

The team were on the course for their second heat yesterday (21 February) when their sled tipped over at the K2 corner and continued down the track on its side, with the athletes ducking inside as much as possible to avoid their helmets hitting the walls.

Their sled continued on its side for a time before stopping a few metres shy of the finishing line.

Daniel Bertschler, Sebastian Mitterer and Daiyehan Nichols-Bardi were able to get out of the bobsleigh while Mandlbauer was attended to by medics before being taken away on a stretcher.

There have been several crashes at various events during the Winter Olympics which have left athletes in need of hospital treatment.

The Austrian bobsleigh tipped over during a run and the pilot was hospitalised (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Though hospitalised, the bobsleigh pilot is said to be 'no so bad' and is expected to 'be fine' after being checked over, with the other three described as 'fine' as they were able to walk away from the crash.

Mandlbauer had complained of pain in his neck and back while he was being treated, but his team expects him to be alright.

The Austrian team press officer Christoph Iglhauser told The Athletic: "Jakob is on his way to hospital. He’s not so bad. It’s just a check. Everyone else is fine. No injury, only a check. He’ll be fine."

It was a dangerous day on the bobsleigh track as there were two other crashes on the course yesterday as the teams from France and Trinidad & Tobago also had crashes while attempting their heats.

Fortunately in both cases all four athletes in the bobsleigh were able to walk away from the crash.

He was hospitalised, but his team say he is 'not so bad' and just needed to be checked out (Al Bello/Getty Images)

There's more bobsleigh to come at the Winter Olympics as two more heats remain to be done today.

Speaking about the crash, TNT Sports commentator Ben Simons talked of the protective gear the athletes wear to reduce the risk of injury, as in addition to their crash helmets they also wear protective suits.

"We've got to hope he's alright, nobody likes to see this. They'll be getting checked out by the medical staff, they'll all have a concussion test.

"All the athletes wear a Kevlar woven burns vest underneath those Lycra suits, because what you get is ice burns travelling at that speed. When your shoulder gets on the ice, it does burn skin."

Fellow commentator Martin Haven said: "Crashes happen. Everybody knows crashes happen, you know crashes happen. You know you don't need to have another crash to know how uncomfortable they are. But it is part of racing on the edge, that's what they do."