Francesco Friedrich will continue his bobsledding career through the 2030 Winter Olympics. The 36-year-old from Pirna, who had to settle for two silver medals behind Johannes Lochner at the Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, is now aiming for his fifth Olympic appearance. The first major test for his newly formed team will be the World Championships in February 2027 in Lillehammer, Norway.
“Bobsledding is still my passion. Why should I give it up when I’m still good at it, when I still enjoy fine-tuning things, training with the team all summer, preparing for the season, and then competing together at this level,” said Friedrich, who, with four gold and two silver medals, is the world’s most successful bobsled pilot.
Only his former pusher, Thorsten Margis, has more—a gold medal he won in Lochner’s four-man bobsled. That’s still a goal for him. And the record-holding world champion wants to break the 100-World-Cup-victory barrier. He currently stands at 89 in the two-man and four-man bobsled.