The Incident
Driver Kris Horn did exactly what he was supposed to do: he launched the four-man sled down the track. The problem? His teammates Ryan Rager, Hunter Powell, and Caleb Furnell stumbled during the push start and never made it into the sled.
Horn navigated the treacherous course alone, reaching speeds of 75 mph during the 60-second run. No teammates. No brakes. Just pure survival.
“We are fortunate it wasn’t worse,” USA Bobsled head coach Chris Fogt told the Associated Press.
The Internet Reacts
“No better way to describe that Country at the moment! Classic!” one user posted.“I think this is a good metaphor for what the USA is now,” another wrote.
“Welp. Train all year, just for that,” a third added.And then there was the Cool Runnings reference because of course there was:
“I guess they didn’t feel the rhythm, didn’t feel the rhyme, didn’t get on up. They didn’t realize it’s bobsled time.”
The Context
This year’s Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina have been marked by tragedy skier deaths, Lindsey Vonn’s horrific crash, and now this. That everyone walked away from the bobsled incident is nothing short of remarkable.
The U.S. sent 14 athletes to compete in bobsled, including Frank Del Duca, Kris Horn, Caleb Furnell, Boone Niederhofer, Hunter Powell, Bryan Sosoo, Carsten Vissering, and Josh Williamson.
The Takeaway
The video will live forever. The memes will keep coming. But the fact remains: a man drove a bobsled 75 mph down an ice track with no one else on board, and he lived to tell the story.
That’s not just a viral moment. That’s a miracle.As for the guys who couldn’t get in? They’ll hear about this for the rest of their lives.
