The race for Olympic glory is officially underway. As the 2025-2026 International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Cup season kicks off, every turn, every push, and every fraction of a second carries monumental weight for the US Women’s Bobsled team.
The path to Milan Cortina for the American women’s sledding team is paved with both promise and peril. Veterans and rising stars must prove their mettle against a formidable international field, particularly the dominant German contingent.
2-Woman Bobsled
The 2-woman bobsled event is shaping up to be a blockbuster showdown, with powerhouse teams from Germany and the United States ready to battle for supremacy. The recent World Cup stop in Innsbruck, Austria, offered a thrilling preview of the intensity to come. German pilots Laura Nolte and Kim Kalicki demonstrated their nation’s incredible depth, with Nolte and her brakewoman Deborah Levi storming to victory. That victory, combined with a new track record, solidified her position at the top of the overall World Cup standings.
The American team, however, is not far behind. The duo of Kaysha Love and Sylvia Hoffman clinched a hard-fought second-place finish in Innsbruck, proving they have the speed and chemistry to challenge the world’s best.
Women’s Monobob
The women’s monobob, a solo test of a pilot’s skill and precision, is quickly becoming one of the most exciting disciplines in sliding sports. Here, the pilot is on their own, responsible for the all-important push start and navigating the treacherous, winding track without a brakewoman’s assistance. This event has seen a surge of new talent, and the competition is wide open heading into the final Olympic qualification push.
Love has emerged as a force to be reckoned with. Love captured the monobob gold at the 2025 IBSF World Championships in Lake Placid, a monumental win that announced her arrival as an elite contender. But she faces stiff competition from Germany’s Lisa Buckwitz, the two-time defending overall World Cup champion in the discipline, and Australia’s Bree Walker, who has consistently pushed for the top of the podium.
Qualification for Milan Cortina 2026
The primary qualification path for the Olympics is through the 2025-2026 BMW IBSF Bobsled World Cup. Each result feeds directly into the IBSF rankings, the ultimate arbiter that will determine who gets to compete for gold when the qualification window slams shut on January 18, 2026. Athletes will compete in a series of events to earn their spot to the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games with the qualification window closing on January 18, 2026.
Past Qualifying Events
- November 22–23, 2025: Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy – First World Cup event of the season.
- November 29–30, 2025: Innsbruck, Austria.
Upcoming Qualifying Events
- December 13–14, 2025: Lillehammer, Norway.
- December 20–21, 2025: Sigulda, Latvia.
- January 3–4, 2026: Winterberg, Germany.
- January 10–11, 2026: St. Moritz, Switzerland – Also serves as the European Championships.
- January 17–18, 2026: Altenberg, Germany – Final World Cup event before Olympic team selections.
The Olympic qualification window closes on January 18, 2026, with the Winter Games scheduled for February 2026 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
Bobsleigh vs. Bobsled
Bobsleigh is the official international term.
- It is used by the sport’s governing body, the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF).
- It is the official name used at the Winter Olympic Games.
- It is generally favored in British English and globally in official sports media.
Bobsled is the term most commonly used in North America (U.S. and Canada) for both the sport and the sled itself.
- It is often used interchangeably with bobsleigh in casual conversation and North American news coverage.
