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American bobsledder Kris Horn avoided serious injury after racing alone on the St. Moritz track in a four-man sled at a speed of around 120 km/h.
The three teammates – Ryan Rager, Hunter Powell and Caleb Furnell – failed to get into the sled after Horn, the driver, entered first. It is common for the driver to board the sled first.
The four-person sled is designed for balanced weight distribution, with a brakeman responsible for stopping the sled at the finish.
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Kristopher Horn and Carsten Vissering of the United States in action during the 2-man bobsleigh World Cup in St. Moritz, Switzerland, January 10, 2026. (Mayk Wendt/Keystone via AP)
Rager seemed to stumble first, setting off a domino effect. Powell appeared to have been thrown violently toward the track wall, hitting his back on the icy, compacted surface after failing to charge onto the sled, and Furnell was unable to reach his position.
None of the American sliders were seriously injured and all X-rays taken came back negative, the team said.
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“A little painful,” Powell told the Associated Press. “I should be fine in a few days.”
Horn raced down the track but still reached high speeds during a race that lasted just over a minute. He guided the sled to the finish line, then moved to the rear and pulled the brake handles himself.
Kristopher Horn, Carsten Vissering, Martin Christofferson and Hunter Powell of the United States compete in the third round of the four-man bobsleigh at the 2025 IBSF World Championships at Mt. Van Hoevenberg on March 15, 2025 in Lake Placid, New York (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Athletes and coaches from several national teams rushed to the finish line to check on Horn as the sled skidded to a stop. Horn, whose bobsled career began as a brakeman, waved to nearby television cameras to report that he was unharmed.
Hunter Church, Joshua Williamson, Kristopher Horn and Charlie Volker of Team USA break as they complete their slide during the fourth four-man bobsleigh event on day 16 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at the National Sliding Sports Center on February 20, 2022, in Yanqing, China. (Julien Finney/Getty Images)
Horn also crashed during the two-man World Cup race on Saturday. His brakeman for this event, Carsten Vissering, suffered abrasions and was unable to compete in the four-man bobsleigh on Sunday. Rager took Vissering’s place on the four-man sled.
There is one weekend of World Cup racing remaining before USA Bobsled and Skeleton selects its team for the Milan Cortina Olympics next month.
