For Monaco’s bobsleigh team, the road to the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics is quite a challenge. A recent rule change now requires nations to qualify in both the two-man and four-man bobsleigh events, forcing smaller teams—like Monaco’s—to double their efforts. With a five-year absence from the four-man competition, the team, led by pilot Boris Vain, has had to rebuild from the ground up while still keeping their Olympic dreams alive.
A New Challenge for Monaco
Unlike powerhouse nations such as Germany and Switzerland, which have deep pools of athletes ready to compete in both disciplines, Monaco faced a major hurdle: assembling a four-man squad practically from scratch. Vain and his team had to recruit and train new athletes while simultaneously competing in the IBSF World Cup circuit to accumulate enough points for Olympic qualification.
It is completely changing Boris Vain’s weeks of scheduling and that has to be putting extra strain on his performances. Hopefully, in the long run, this will help with his results both in the two-man and four man bobsleigh as well.
Despite these challenges, Monaco’s bobsleigh program, which has long been supported by Prince Albert II – himself a five-time Olympic bobsledder – has remained resilient.
A Strong Comeback in Competition
After their impressive fourth-place finish in the two-man bobsleigh at the World Cup in Latvia, Vain and Arthur Prévost continued to show promise with an 11th-place finish in St. Moritz. Meanwhile, the newly formed four-man team made its return at the Innsbruck World Cup on January 18–19, 2025. Their participation alone marked a significant step in their Olympic journey.
Not forgetting that athletes Boris Vain and Rudy Rinaldi delivered Monaco’s best-ever Olympic result with a sixth-place finish in the two-man bobsleigh at the 2022 Beijing Games.
Before Innsbruck this January , Vain’s four-man team had already collected 88 points with a 17th-place finish in St. Moritz, ranking them 50th overall. With only 28 teams ultimately qualifying for Milan Cortina 2026, every competition remains crucial.
What’s Next?
The qualification window runs until January 2026, meaning Monaco still has a year to secure its Olympic spot. Upcoming key events include:
• Another World Cup in St. Moritz
• The European Championships in Norway (February 8-9, 2025)
• The IBSF World Championships in the United States (March 2025).
With strong performances in these events, Monaco could very well be on track to send both its two-man and four-man bobsleigh teams to the Winter Olympics.
