How Bobsled Times Work

Bobsled Scoring and Timing: Four Runs, Hundredths of Seconds

Bobsled scoring is elegantly simple: add up the times from all four runs; lowest total wins. But behind that simplicity lies a timing system of extraordinary precision, a start-time measurement that can predict final results, and a sled-weighing protocol that can overturn them.

The Four-Run Format

Olympic bobsled events use four heats (runs) spread over two days:

• Day 1: Runs 1 and 2.
• Day 2: Runs 3 and 4.

Each run is timed independently to 1/100th of a second. The four run times are summed for the final result. There is no “drop your worst run” provision — every run counts.

At Beijing 2022, Francesco Friedrich’s four-man crew posted runs of 58.41, 58.30, 58.37, and 58.82 for a total of 3:53.90, winning gold by 0.50 seconds over Germany’s second sled.

Start Time

The start time is measured from the first timing eye (at the push-off point) to a second eye approximately 50 meters down the track. This measures the crew’s push speed and the sled’s initial acceleration.

Start times typically range from 4.8 to 5.3 seconds for a four-man crew. An advantage of 0.10 seconds at the start often translates to 0.20–0.30 seconds at the finish, because gravity amplifies any initial velocity difference throughout the run.

Teams with powerful pushers (sprinters, football players, track athletes) gain a significant advantage. The Jamaican bobsled team’s famous 1988 Olympic appearance highlighted the push start — their sprinters were fast, even if their piloting was less experienced.

Intermediate and Split Times

Photocells along the track record split times at several points. These are displayed to spectators and broadcasters in real-time, showing how the current sled compares to the leader. Split times are unofficial — only the start time and finish time are used for the result — but they provide critical feedback for pilots adjusting their lines.

Tie-Breaking

If two teams have the same cumulative time after four runs, they share the position. At the Olympics, this means sharing the medal. This occurred at the 2018 PyeongChang Games: Canada (piloted by Justin Kripps) and Germany (piloted by Francesco Friedrich) posted identical times of 3:16.86 in the two-man event, sharing gold.

No tiebreaker procedure exists — not start times, not individual run times, not split times. A tie is a tie.

Post-Run Inspection

After each run, the sled and crew are weighed. If the combined weight exceeds the maximum, the run is disqualified. Runner temperature may also be re-checked. These post-run inspections have occasionally overturned results — a team that crossed the finish line first but had an overweight sled loses the run.

Track Records and Conditions

Each track has an official track record, which serves as a benchmark but has no bearing on competition results. Ice conditions vary throughout a competition day — early sleds may face harder, faster ice, while later sleds benefit from smoother surfaces (earlier runs scrub away imperfections). This is why start order matters: leaders starting last in subsequent heats may face slightly different conditions.