how fast do bobsleds go in the olympics

Olympic bobsleds hit thrilling speeds, often exceeding90 mph (145 km/h)** during races, making them one of the fastest sliding sports in the Winter Games.**

The four-man event typically clocks the highest velocities due to greater momentum from the team and sled weight.

Peak Speeds Recorded

• Four-man bobsleds : Up to 93 mph (150 km/h) or just shy of 100 mph on tracks like Whistler (2010 Vancouver Olympics).

• Two-man/two-woman/monobob : Often 80-90 mph (129-145 km/h) , with pilots navigating 5G forces on steep, icy courses.

• Tracks vary: Steeper ones like Vancouver allow faster descents, while others cap at 140 km/h.

Modern sleds use carbon fiber and Kevlar for aerodynamics, minimizing drag to shave seconds off runs timed to 0.01s precision over four heats.

What Makes Them So Fast?

Bobsleds start with a 50m push sprint (athletes hit 25-30 mph on foot), then gravity takes over on 1,200-1,500m tracks with 15-20 turns.

Engineers obsess over weight distribution (sleds max at 210kg empty for four-man) and low frontal area to fight air resistance.

"It's controlled violence." – U.S. bobsledder Steve Langton, capturing the roar and G-forces inside.

Event Breakdown

Event| Crew Size| Top Speed Range| Notes
---|---|---|---
Four-man| 4 athletes| 90-100 mph| Fastest; Germany set 2018 Pyeongchang record (3:15.85 total). 1
Two-man| 2 athletes| 85-93 mph| Balanced power and precision. 3
Two-woman| 2 athletes| 80-90 mph| Similar to two-man dynamics. 3
Monobob (women)| 1 athlete| 75-85 mph| Solo strength test. 37

TL;DR : Expect 90+ mph peaks in Olympics, with four-man leading—pure adrenaline on ice.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.