Austria Bobsleigh driver Jakob Mandlbauer was stretchered off after being left upside down following a horrifying high-speed crash. The 27-year-old came off worst in heat two of the four-man event after taking a left turn, forcing a delay of over 15 minutes before the medical team carried off the Austrian driver.

The four-man reached a speed of 117 kilometres-per-hour as it approached the final quarter of the course before a wobble on the left bend took the bobsleigh off course. Horrified onlookers watched on after the Austrian Bobsleigh team crashed, forcing the four-man to career down the ice for a period. However, it was later confirmed by the TNT Sports commentary that Mandlbauer was taken to the hospital after he complained of neck and back pain.

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Three of the Austrian team managed to escape the bobsleigh but there was a lengthy delay as the medical crew stabilised the driver. The athletes were seen moving the sled while medical experts made their way over on the ice, some slipping as they attended Mandlbauer.

Footage showed the Canadian team, who had just completed their run, looking concerned after replays showed the bobsleigh overturning on the left. The crash saw the Austrian side slide down the track and to within touching distance of the finish line, however they didn't cross the line and were disqualified from the four-man competition.

The Dutch Bobsleigh team were forced to wait for their second run after a track suspension. They managed to navigate the Cortina course without a hiccup following a potentially debilitating delay.

Austria's run was the third since the restart for heat two. The delay allowed the course team to repair some of the damage caused by the Bobsleigh flying down the course upside down. Great Britain had a superb start in heat one as they finished third behind a Germany one-two.

They were the third runners and made a strong challenge, with their closest rivals Switzerland 2 (54.49), Germany 3 (54.51), Switzerland 1 (54.53), and Italy 1 (54.55) trailing behind. In heat two, the field was flipped and those who featured last went first in the competition.

The Milano Cortina course has been described as a quick course and teams were reaching speeds north of 70 miles-per-hour at around 120 kilometres-per-hour. After not completing the run, the Austrian's slid back into the middle of the course.

"I think it's the driver, I think he's so far forward that they can't lift the sled from the wall," the commentary team stated on TNT Sports. "The others are all sort of buried in the sled, the driver who has his head out most and in a crash, he tries to get out as quickly as he can but you are doing 70, 80, 90 miles an hour and being bounced around."

Another crash followed around an hour later, as the French crew lost control during their run. However, all members of the team were quick to emerge after hurtling down the track on the sled's side, seemingly unharmed.

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