Monaco’s four-man bobsleigh team is pushing forward with its Olympic ambitions, steadily climbing the ranks on the road to Milan Cortina 2026.
While the top teams battled for gold at the IBSF World Cup in St. Moritz on 12th January, Monaco’s bobsleigh team was working to secure vital points in its fight for Olympic qualification. With just over a year until the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Games begin, the athletes representing the Principality remain focused on making the cut by earning a quota berth for the microstate.
The qualification period for Milan Cortina began in October 2024 and runs until January 2026. During this time, athletes accumulate ranking points through competitions, with the IBSF World Cup serving as the primary platform for earning spots. Only 28 sleds will qualify for the four-man event, making every race critical.
Boris Vain, competing alongside his three teammates in the four-man bobsleigh, has picked up 88 points thus far in the 2024/25 IBSF World Cup by finishing 17th in St. Moritz. He currently sits in 50th place in the rankings. Vain is expected to take to the track again in Innsbruck, Austria, on 18th and 19th January.
See more: Monaco bobsleigh duo celebrate fourth place at IBSF World Cup in Latvia
Building on a legacy
Monaco’s own Prince Albert II competed in five Winter Olympics between 1988 and 2002, laying the foundation for the nation’s participation in the sport. More recently, athletes Rudy Rinaldi and Boris Vain delivered Monaco’s best-ever Olympic result with a sixth-place finish in the two-man bobsleigh at the 2022 Beijing Games.
Rinaldi, who began his career with a bronze medal at the inaugural Youth Winter Olympics in Innsbruck in 2012, has been a key figure in Monaco’s rise.
Vain, meanwhile, has also played a crucial role in Monaco’s bobsleigh success, achieving the country’s best World Championship result in 20 years with a seventh-place finish in the two-man event at the 2024 IBSF World Championships in Winterberg, Germany, alongside Antoine Riou.
Read related:
Monaco Life is produced by real multi-media journalists writing original content. See more in our free newsletter, follow our Podcasts on Spotify, and check us out on Threads, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.
Photo source: Viesturs Lacis Rekords / IBSF / Olympics.com