TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer
WHISTLER, British Columbia – A Swiss driver and an Australian brakeman have had their Olympic plans at least temporarily derailed following crashes on the speedy bobsled track.
Swiss medal contender Beat Hefti crashed in the opening heat of training Wednesday night. He was left with a headache severe enough to cause him to miss some training runs.
Australian push athlete Duncan Harvey was briefly hospitalized after another crash from the same night. He was held out of practice Thursday as a precaution.
In all, eight sleds crashed in Wednesday’s session, although one righted itself and came across the finish on its runners.
And Latvian driver Janis Minins will miss the two-man event, following emergency surgery to remove his appendix.