USA Bobsled Gets Aerospace Tech for 2034 Olympics

American bobsled athletes are getting a major upgrade that could shave precious fractions of seconds off their times. USA Bobsled just announced partnerships with four cutting-edge companies to build sleds using the same technology found in aircraft and missiles.

The timing couldn't be better. With Salt Lake City hosting the 2034 Winter Olympics, USA Bobsled is planning ahead to give American athletes every possible advantage on home ice.

Four Utah-based companies are joining forces on the project. Albany Engineered Composites will manufacture composite cowlings for four-man sleds, while Nammo will create carbon-fiber cowlings for two-man bobsleds. Hexcel brings expertise in advanced composite materials, and 47G coordinated the partnerships.

The challenge is unique. These sleds need to withstand speeds regularly exceeding 80 mph while hurtling down ice-covered tracks. At the same time, engineers are searching for ways to trim those tiny fractions of seconds that separate gold medals from fourth place finishes.

"It's about us taking lessons from the aerospace world and figuring out how we should be applying them to bobsled," said USA Bobsled CEO Aron McGuire at Wednesday's announcement in Salt Lake City.

Why This Inspires

Two-time Olympian and 2025 monobob world champion Kaysha Love perfectly captured what this means for athletes competing at the highest level. "Every detail of the sled matters when you are pushing at the start and steering down the track," she explained.

She added that having top aerospace engineers working on their equipment gives the team confidence to focus purely on performance. While it's unclear exactly when these next-generation sleds will debut in competition, demonstration models should hit the ice for testing this winter.

The collaboration shows how American innovation across industries can come together for a common goal. When athletes take their positions in those sleds, they'll carry the combined expertise of aerospace engineers and sports scientists working toward the same finish line.