Bobsledder Safely Steers Solo After Crew Can't Board

When US bobsledder Kris Horn started his run down the icy St. Moritz track, he had no idea he'd be making the journey alone at speeds topping 120 kph.

Horn, the sled driver, got in first as usual during Sunday's four-man World Cup race in Switzerland. But teammate Ryan Rager stumbled during boarding, setting off a domino effect that left Hunter Powell, then Caleb Furnell, sprawling on the ice instead of inside the sled.

Powell hit the track wall hard, landing on his back against the icy surface. The sled had already started moving, leaving Horn to navigate the treacherous course with no weight, no crew, and nobody to help brake at the bottom.

For just over a minute, Horn careened down the winding track in the nearly empty sled. Without the usual combined weight of four athletes, the bobsled handled completely differently than any training run he'd experienced.

As he crossed the finish line, Horn kept his composure. He scooted to the back of the sled and pulled the brake handles himself, drawing on his earlier experience as a brakeman.

Athletes and coaches from multiple countries rushed to check on him as the sled skidded to a stop. Some shook his hand in disbelief while Horn waved at nearby cameras to signal he was okay.

Why This Inspires

Horn's quick thinking under pressure shows the power of cross-training and staying calm when everything goes wrong. His brakeman background gave him skills he never expected to need as a driver, but those skills potentially saved him from serious injury.

Meanwhile, his three teammates who never made it into the sled walked away sore but uninjured. All X-rays came back negative, and Powell told reporters he expected to feel fine within days.

"We are fortunate it wasn't worse," said USA Bobsled head coach Chris Fogt.

Horn is expected to be named to Team USA for next month's Milan Cortina Olympics, where he'll hopefully have a full crew aboard for every run.