Micah Jonah
February 15, 2026
The two-man bobsleigh event at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics is shaping up for a thrilling showdown between German rivals Johannes Lochner and Francesco Friedrich.
Both pilots have dominated the World Cup season, with Germany sweeping all three podium places in six of the seven two-man races. Lochner claimed victory in six races and finished second in the other, underlining his strong form heading into the Games.
Friedrich, an 18-time world champion, is chasing history as he aims to become the most successful male bobsleigh athlete in Olympic history. After winning both the two-man and four-man events at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics, he currently sits on four Olympic gold medals, level with fellow German greats Andre Lange and Kevin Kuske.
Despite Friedrich’s decorated résumé, this season has seen him playing second to Lochner in several World Cup outings. However, training sessions in Cortina suggest the battle for gold will be tightly contested. In early practice runs, the pair traded fastest times, with margins as slim as one hundredth of a second separating them.
Lochner edged Friedrich by 0.19 seconds in the first practice run, while Friedrich responded by setting the fastest times in subsequent sessions. Lochner opted out of the final run on Saturday.
Veteran American pilot, Frank Del Duca described the German duo as “titans of our sport,” but insisted the medals would not be handed to them without a fight. Del Duca, who served as the U.S. flag bearer at the opening ceremony, is enjoying the best World Cup season of his career and is hoping to secure a rare American medal in the event.
Germany’s third entrant, Adam Ammour, is also considered a strong contender, adding further depth to the country’s dominance in the discipline.
The first two runs of the two-man event are scheduled for Monday, with medals to be decided on Tuesday as fans anticipate one of the most competitive sliding contests of the Games.
