1953 World Bobsleigh Championship

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The 13th Bobsleigh World Championship took place in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany in 1953 . The world championship was overshadowed by the fatal accident of the Swiss Felix Endrich . After winning the gold medal in the two-man bobsleigh, he died a week later during the four-man bobsleigh competition.

Results

Two-man bobsleigh

space country athlete Time (min)
1 SUI Felix Endrich / Fritz Stöckli 5: 01.90
2 FRG I Andreas Ostler / Franz Kemser 5: 02.17
3 FRG II Theodor Kitt / Lorenz Nieberl 5: 03.38
4th SUI II 5: 05.57
5 FRA I 5: 07.66
6th SWE II 5: 10.56
7th USA II 5: 14.29
8th ITA I 5: 14.66
0 ...

The four races were held on January 24th and 25th, 1953. On the final day, 15,000 spectators followed the two decisive races.

Four-man bobsleigh

space country athlete Time (min)
1 United States Lloyd Johnson , Piet Biesiadecki ,
Hubert Miller , Joseph Smith 		2: 28.79
2 FRG I Andreas Ostler , Heinz Wendlinger ,
Hans Hohenester , Rudi Erben 		2: 29.13
3 SWE Kjell Holmström , Walter Aronsson ,
Nils Landgren , Jan Lapidoth 		...
3 FRG II Hans Rösch , Michael Pössinger ,
Dix Terne , Sylvester Wackerle 		...

The Swiss Felix Endrich was thrown out of the infamous Bayern curve in his four-man bobsleigh on the first day of the race. He suffered a broken neck and died on the way to the hospital. The jury then canceled the first two races. On Sunday, February 1, 1953, the world championship was decided with only two runs.

Medal table

space country gold silver bronze total
1 Switzerland 1 0 0 1
1 United States 1 0 0 1
3 BR Germany 0 2 2 4th
4th Sweden 0 0 1 1

Web links