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Geneva • Call it four-man bobsled still, but women can start taking part in the event this season.
Bobsled's world governing body, known as the FIBT, has opened the four-man competitions to mixed gender teams. Teams consisting of a female pilot driving and men push-starting the bob could now be seen on the World Cup circuit from December and at the world championships in February next year.
"I strongly believe women can drive a four-man and be competitive," FIBT President Ivo Ferriani said in a telephone interview on Thursday. "For us, it's the natural evolution of our sport."
The 2018 Winter Olympics staged in Pyeongchang, South Korea, is a natural target for mixed teams, though Ferriani cautioned it was "too soon to create too much speculation."
"It's important to make the first step," Italian officials said.
The Associated Press