Austrian bobsleigh pilot Jakob Mandlbauer was rushed to hospital this afternoon following a frightening incident during the Winter Olympics four-man final at the Cortina Sliding Centre.
The Austrian sled overturned on the U-shaped Curve 7 during the second heat of the competition.
Footage showed Mandlbauer and his three crewmates attempting to shield themselves by tucking their heads inside the bobsled as it careered down the track on its side.
The stricken vessel continued sliding for approximately 30 seconds before finally coming to rest near the finish line.
Jakob Mandlbauer's sled overturned on the U-shaped Curve 7 during the second heat of the competition
|REUTERS
Medical staff immediately attended to the athletes once the sled had stopped.
Mandlbauer, 27, reported experiencing pain in his neck and back following the crash.
His teammates Daniel Bertschler, Sebastian Mitterer and Daiyehan Nichols-Bardi were able to exit the bobsled once it had stopped and stood watching as medical personnel attended to their pilot.
All three crew members underwent assessments at the trackside and were given the all-clear.
Mandlbauer, however, required more extensive treatment and was eventually removed from the venue on a stretcher after a delay of roughly 20 minutes.
Austrian officials have since confirmed that the hospital visit is purely precautionary and that their pilot has not sustained any serious injuries.
The dramatic crash occurred during the Winter Olympics four-man final in Cortina on Saturday | GETTYChristoph Iglhauser, the Austrian team press attaché, provided reassurance when speaking to The Athletic. "Jakob is on his way to hospital," he said. "He's not so bad. It's just a check. Everyone else is fine. No injury, only a check. He'll be fine."
TNT Sports commentator Ben Simons offered insight into the safety measures in place for competitors. "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," he explained.
Simons noted that athletes wear Kevlar woven burns vests beneath their suits to protect against ice burns at high speeds.
Jakob Mandlbauer has not suffered any serious injuries, it has been reported
|REUTERS
John Jackson, a two-time Olympic bobsledder serving as a BBC pundit, expressed the concerns felt across the sport.
"As a sliding community, we all want to see each other safe and healthy and being able to laugh and joke at the top of the track," he said.
"Nobody likes to see athletes crashing and you know things aren't right because the medics are taking a little bit longer to take them off the track."
The competition was delayed for some time after the crash
| GETTYOlympic volunteers spent around 20 minutes repairing the damaged ice surface before racing could resume.
Germany currently occupy all three podium positions following the second heat, with Johannes Lochner's crew holding a commanding advantage.
Team GB sit in seventh place, just 0.23 seconds adrift of the bronze medal position.