"I Couldn't Stop Crying": Japanese Bobsleigh Federation's Blunder Costs Olympic Spot

Failure to Recognize Changes in Qualification Requirements
Japan Federation Apologizes: "We Did Not Double-Check"

The Japanese men's two-man bobsleigh national team will not be able to participate in the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics due to an administrative error stemming from a misinterpretation of qualification regulations.

Image of a bobsleigh created by AI.

According to Kyodo News on January 13, the Japan Bobsleigh, Luge, and Skeleton Federation issued a statement that day announcing that the men's two-man bobsleigh team would not be able to participate in the Olympics due to a misunderstanding of the qualification requirements.

Japan had been preparing to compete in the two-man event in the men's category, but unlike the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, this time the selection process was changed to allocate Olympic spots based on combined results from four-man international competitions. The Japanese side failed to recognize this change and did not participate in any four-man international events. This oversight only came to light earlier this month after being pointed out by another country.

A federation official held a press conference in Tokyo that day and said, "There was a failure to double-check. We sincerely apologize."

The federation requested relief measures from the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, but the request was denied.

It has been reported that the athletes were deeply disappointed by this administrative error. In an interview with Kyodo News, one athlete said, "It felt like all our efforts up to now were meaningless," and added, "I couldn't stop crying."

A total of 28 teams will compete in the men's two-man bobsleigh event at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, with a maximum of three teams allowed per country or region. Separate from the Olympic qualification race, the highest-ranked Japanese athlete in the International Federation's two-man world rankings is currently 36th.

Yasuo Inoue, Director of Athlete Development at the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), stated, "This is extremely regrettable," adding, "I have instructed a fact-check, appropriate information disclosure, follow-up actions for those responsible, and the establishment of measures to prevent recurrence." The JOC convened an emergency meeting with all sports federations, including those for summer events, to urge caution.

The 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics will be held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, for 17 days from February 6 to February 22.