The mixed four of Bobsleigh 2018 during the 2018 Winter Olympics was held on 24-25 February 2018 in the Alpensia Sliding Centre. With 29 teams competing, the event was won by the team from Germany, with Germany and South Korea taking the silver medals.
Format[]
The competition exists out of four heats spread out over two days, with the 20 teams with the best times after three heats advancing to the final heats. The team with the lowest aggregate time over two days is the winner.
Preview[]
Twenty-nine teams qualified for the event, and women were allowed to participate for the first time ever. The teams of the United States, Canada, and Germany had the biggest chances, all three nations being represented by three teams. The German teams were the top favorites, taking all three medals at the world championships in 2017, and started as the top 3 seeds. The bob of Benjamin Maier recorded the fastest time in the practice runs, and the defending Olympic champions in the bob of Latvia were definitely not out either.
Current Records[]
| Record | Date | Nat. | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TR | 19 March 2017 | 
|
Alexander Kasjanov | 49.97 |
| Vasiliy Kondratenko | ||||
| Aleksei Pushkarev | ||||
| Alexey Zaitsev |
Summary[]
Heat 1[]
The host nation of South Korea started off the competition with an excellent time, over a second faster than the track record. Out of the first five starters, the time of Poland came closest with almost half a second, and even the world number one was not able to get to the time of the Koreans, with three-tenth of a second behind. However, the second German team, piloted by Francesco Friedrich, slipped just under the time of the Koreans with a tenth of a second, taking the lead in the first heat. This time would not be beaten in the first heat, with the Germans and the Koreans taking the first two places after the first part of the competition. The third German bob of Nico Walther finished 0.2 seconds from their countrymen, with the first Latvian team and the first Canadian team behind them. The difference between the leaders and the seventh-placed Polish team was already half a second, with seven other teams within another 0.06 seconds.
| Heat 1 Results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team | Time | ||
| 1 |  Germany-2 |
48.54 | ||
| 2 |  South Korea |
48.65 | ||
| 3 | Germany-3 |
48.74 | ||
| 4 |  Latvia |
48.82 | ||
| 5 |  Canada |
48.85 | ||
| 6 | Germany |
48.95 | ||
| 7 |  Poland |
49.04 | ||
| 8 |  Switzerland-2 |
49.05 | ||
| 9 | Canada-2 |
49.06 | ||
| 9 | Switzerland |
49.06 | ||
| 11 |  Czech Republic |
49.07 | ||
| 12 |  France |
49.09 | ||
| 12 |  United States |
49.09 | ||
| 14 |  Austria |
49.10 | ||
| 15 | Latvia-2 |
49.18 | ||
| 16 |  Great Britain-2 |
49.25 | ||
| 17 | Canada-3 |
49.40 | ||
| 18 |  Olympic Athletes from Russia |
49.43 | ||
| 19 | Great Britain |
49.44 | ||
| 20 | United States-3 |
49.60 | ||
| 21 | United States-2 |
49.62 | ||
| 22 |  Australia |
49.72 | ||
| 23 | Austria-2 |
49.73 | ||
| 23 | Czech Republic-2 |
49.73 | ||
| 25 |  Brazil |
49.75 | ||
| 26 |  China |
49.79 | ||
| 27 |  Italy |
49.92 | ||
| 28 |  Croatia |
50.18 | ||
| 29 |  Romania |
50.55 | ||
Heat 2[]
With the second heat going in reverse time placement for the top 20, followed by the rest of the teams in order of their recorded time in the first heat, the American team piloted by Nick Cunningham went first, but were not able to improve on their time much, and with 0.16 seconds behind the nineteenth place, they remained twentieth in the provisional standings. The teams after them went faster and faster, with the heat time of the team of Nick Poloniato standing longer than one descent, but even their time was quickly beaten by the Austrian team of Benjamin Maier, ninth in the world rankings but who had a disappointing first run. However, this time would hold as the heat's fastest for a bit, at least until the Swiss team of Peter Rico, who had the eighth time in the first heat, was 0.05 seconds faster. Most teams of the rest of the field were not able to catch them, until the German favorites went down the track. The third German bob equalled the time of the Swiss, while the second German team were 0.15 seconds faster, securing their lead after the first day. The Korean team somewhat limited their deficit and were now 0.29 seconds behind, while the team of pilot Nico Walther were now 0.35 seconds behind the leader. Behind the Canadian team of gold medalist in the two-man Justin Kripps in fourth place, three teams shared the fifth place after the first day.
| Heat 2 Results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team | Time | ||
| 1 | Germany-2 |
49.01 | ||
| 2 | Germany-3 |
49.16 | ||
| 2 | Switzerland-2 |
49.16 | ||
| 4 | South Korea |
49.19 | ||
| 5 | Austria |
49.21 | ||
| 6 | Canada-3 |
49.23 | ||
| 7 | Germany |
49.26 | ||
| 7 | Latvia-2 |
49.26 | ||
| 9 | Canada |
49.28 | ||
| 10 | United States |
49.34 | ||
| 11 | France |
49.36 | ||
| 12 | Latvia |
49.39 | ||
| 12 | Olympic Athletes from Russia |
49.39 | ||
| 14 | Great Britain |
49.45 | ||
| 15 | United States-3 |
49.50 | ||
| 16 | Switzerland |
49.54 | ||
| 17 | Canada-2 |
49.58 | ||
| 18 | Poland |
49.59 | ||
| 19 | Great Britain-2 |
49.68 | ||
| 20 | United States-2 |
49.71 | ||
| 21 | Czech Republic-2 |
49.81 | ||
| 22 | Austria-2 |
49.83 | ||
| 23 | Australia |
49.91 | ||
| 24 | Brazil |
49.94 | ||
| 24 | Italy |
49.94 | ||
| 26 | Czech Republic |
49.97 | ||
| 27 | China |
50.01 | ||
| 28 | Croatia |
50.64 | ||
| 29 | Romania |
50.79 | ||
Heat 3[]
Day two started with the third heat of the competition, with the order decided by the results of the first day. The team of Francesco Friedrich set an excellent time and extended their lead to Won Yun-jong by 0.13 seconds and to Nico Walther by 0.14 seconds. The time differences remained small, however, with the heat times of the teams of Justin Kripps, Rico Peter, and Oskars Melbardis all within two-tenths of a second. With only a single heat to go, Friedrich was almost sure to win the gold medal, almost half a second in front of second-placed Won and third-placed Walther. Kripps and Peter were in fourth place and would need to hope for a mistake of the provisional medalists.
| Heat 3 Results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team | Time | ||
| 1 | Germany-2 |
48.76 | ||
| 2 | Switzerland-2 |
48.87 | ||
| 3 | South Korea |
48.89 | ||
| 4 | Germany-3 |
48.90 | ||
| 5 | Latvia |
48.91 | ||
| 6 | Canada |
48.95 | ||
| 7 | Austria |
49.03 | ||
| 8 | United States |
49.08 | ||
| 9 | Germany |
49.10 | ||
| 10 | France |
49.19 | ||
| 11 | Latvia-2 |
49.34 | ||
| 12 | Canada-2 |
49.46 | ||
| 12 | Poland |
49.46 | ||
| 14 | Canada-3 |
49.51 | ||
| 15 | Olympic Athletes from Russia |
49.56 | ||
| 16 | Switzerland |
49.59 | ||
| 17 | Great Britain-2 |
49.64 | ||
| 18 | Great Britain |
49.66 | ||
| 18 | United States-2 |
49.66 | ||
| 20 | Austria-2 |
49.68 | ||
| 21 | United States-3 |
49.74 | ||
| 22 | Brazil |
49.80 | ||
| 23 | China |
49.94 | ||
| 24 | Italy |
50.02 | ||
| 25 | Czech Republic |
50.05 | ||
| 25 | Czech Republic-2 |
50.05 | ||
| 27 | Australia |
50.07 | ||
| 28 | Croatia |
50.63 | ||
| 29 | Romania |
50.81 | ||
Heat 4[]
Only the twenty fastest teams of the first three runs were allowed to compete in the fourth run, which was in reverse order of the aggregate times so far. The American team of Justin Olsen, who had just recovered from an emergency surgery, set their fastest time so far, but ultimately were not able to climb any places in the standings, missing out by only 0.01 seconds. The team of the Olympic Athletes from Russia recorded the exact same time for the last heat, and that time was not broken until the top 4 descended. The team of Rico Peter set a time that was only 0.05 seconds faster than Olsen and Andrianov, and were able to establish themselves on fourth place after Melbardis lost 0.02 seconds and Kripps lose 0.1 seconds. With only 0.07 seconds between Won and Walther before the last heat, the German team set a pretty high bar for silver, keeping themselves before the Swiss sled. The Korean team went after them, and in a very close finish, the aggregate times of both teams were exactly the same after two days, having to share silver. The last team of Friedrich made no mistakes wit the third time in their last heat, although it was the only heat where they did not have the fastest time of the field. Rico Peter. who did have the fastest time of the last heat, finished fourth, with Melbardis and Kripps within a second of the winner.
| Heat 4 Results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team | Time | ||
| 1 | Switzerland-2 |
49.51 | ||
| 2 | Latvia |
49.53 | ||
| 3 | Germany-2 |
49.54 | ||
| 4 | Austria |
49.56 | ||
| 4 | Olympic Athletes from Russia |
49.56 | ||
| 4 | United States-2 |
49.56 | ||
| 7 | Germany-3 |
49.58 | ||
| 8 | Canada |
49.61 | ||
| 9 | Latvia-2 |
49.63 | ||
| 10 | South Korea |
49.65 | ||
| 11 | Canada-3 |
49.67 | ||
| 12 | Great Britain-2 |
49.69 | ||
| 13 | United States-3 |
49.70 | ||
| 14 | Switzerland |
49.72 | ||
| 15 | Great Britain |
49.74 | ||
| 16 | United States |
49.77 | ||
| 17 | Germany |
49.80 | ||
| 17 | Poland |
49.80 | ||
| 19 | Canada-2 |
49.86 | ||
| 20 | France |
49.92 | ||
Results[]
Francesco Friedrich and Thorsten Margis won their second gold medal in Pyeongchang, after winning both bobsleigh events, as only the fifth and sixth athletes ever. Candy Bauer and Martin Grothkopp, who were the other members of their team, won their first Olympic medals. Jun Jung-lin, Kim_Dong-hyun (bobsledder), Seo Young-woo, and Won Yun-jong won the first medal for South Korea in bobsleigh in Olympic history. Kevin Kuske became the most successful bobsledder at the Olympic Games, winning his sixth medal after 2002, 2006 and 2010. Alexander Roediger won his second Olympic medal, after winning a silver medal in the four-man in Vancouver. Eric Franke and Nico Walther won their first Olympic medals. The members of the Swiss team of Rico Peter just missed out on their first Olympic medals, while Oskars Melbardis and Janis Strenga also just finished just behind the podium.
| Rank | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
 |
Germany-2 |
3:15.85 |
 |
Germany-3 |
3:16.38 |
|
South Korea |
3:16.38 |
| 4 | Switzerland-2 |
3:16.59 |
| 5 | Latvia |
3:16.65 |
| 6 | Canada |
3:16.69 |
| 7 | Austria |
3:16.90 |
| 8 | Germany |
3:17.11 |
| 9 | United States |
3:17.28 |
| 10 | Latvia-2 |
3:17.41 |
| 11 | France |
3:17.56 |
| 12 | Canada-3 |
3:17.81 |
| 13 | Poland |
3:17.89 |
| 14 | Switzerland |
3:17.91 |
| 15 | Olympic Athletes from Russia |
3:17.94 |
| 16 | Canada-2 |
3:17.96 |
| 17 | Great Britain-2 |
3:18.26 |
| 18 | Great Britain |
3:18.29 |
| 19 | United States-3 |
3:18.54 |
| 20 | United States-2 |
3:18.55 |
| 21 | Czech Republic |
2:29.09 |
| 22 | Austria-2 |
2:29.24 |
| 23 | Brazil |
2:29.49 |
| 24 | Czech Republic-2 |
2:29.59 |
| 25 | Australia |
2:29.70 |
| 26 | China |
2:29.74 |
| 27 | Italy |
2:29.88 |
| 28 | Croatia |
2:31.45 |
| 29 | Romania |
2:32.15 |
| 2018 Winter Olympic Games | |
|---|---|
| Bobsleigh 2018 | |
| ← 2014 | 2022 → |
| Men | |
| Two | |
| Women | |
| Two | |
| Mixed | |
| Four | |