Four-man bob team win bronze

Martin Annen and team race to bronze Keystone

Martin Annen and his Switzerland I crew have captured bronze in the Turin Olympics in the four-man bobsleigh competition.

Germany’s Andre Lange won his second gold medal of the games by holding on to his lead after the first two heats on day one of the event. Alexandre Zoubkov and his Russia I bob took silver.

The 32-year-old Lange, who also won gold in the two-man event, became the first driver to take both men’s bobsleigh titles at the same Olympics since East German Wolfgang Hoppe in 1984.

Lange’s bob finished 0.11 seconds ahead of the Russian team. The Swiss ended 0.24 seconds behind the silver medalists and only 0.09 ahead of Canada I in fourth.

Annen’s bronze, shared with teammates, Thomas Lamparter, Beat Hefti und Cédric Grand, was Switzerland’s 14th medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics, which end on Sunday.

Switzerland I was in second position after Friday’s first two runs, but dropped to third place, 0.33 seconds off the pace after the first heat on Saturday.

Flag bearer

The Swiss skeleton Olympic champion, Maya Pedersen-Bieri, has been chosen to carry Switzerland’s flag during the closing ceremony on Sunday evening.

The 33-year-old Pedersen won Switzerland’s first of five gold medals in Turin on February 16 when she outclassed the competition to finish first.

Three of Switzerland’s other four gold medals came in snowboarding events, and Evelyne Leu won the women’s freestyle skiing competition.

Switzerland’s much maligned alpine ski team did better than many pundits predicted, picking up three medals – a silver and two bronze – in the men and women’s downhill events, and the men’s Super G.

Overall, the Swiss Olympic team far exceeded its own expectations. With one day to go, Swiss athletes had won 14 medals – three more than in 2002 and six more than had been hoped for this year.

swissinfo with agencies

In brief

The first-ever bobsleigh competition took place in St Moritz in 1884.

Switzerland is the most successful bobsleigh nation of all time, winning the most medals in Olympic Games, World Championships and World Cups.

In the Olympic four-man event, Switzerland has won five gold, five silver and with Annen’s third place finish in Turin, five bronze.

Annen also captured bronze in the two-man event. His second medal was Switzerland’s 14th at this year’s games.