Four, Men1

The four-man competition was originally planned for 8 and 9 February but, because rain and snowfall had prevented the crews from training on the track, the competition was delayed by three days. When the competition got off to a start, the start time was set at 8 in the morning to make sure the course would not melt in the sun.

The first run was eventful, as three of the 18 teams failed to finish. The crew of Germany II saw their bob continue without them, the second French bob lost its brakesman, while the Czechoslovakians became airborne and crashed. The fastest time was posted by the top favorite for the Olympic gold, Hanns Kilian. The Garmisch native was not only riding on his home course, he also had the 1934 and 1935 World title under his belt, as well as Olympic bronze medals in 1928 and 1932. But the crowd favorite lost his lead in the second run, which was interrupted because of the weather. When the race continued at 16:30, conditions were much better, which favored the crews that drove after the interlude, notably Great Britain and Switzerland II. The latter crew, piloted by the 1935 runner-up at the World Championships, Pierre Musy, led the event after day one.

Musy, son of former Swiss president Jean-Marie Musy, further increased his lead by winning the third run, and then consolidated in the final descent. His compatriot Reto Capadrutt, 1932 silver medalist in the two-man bob, won the final run in a new track record, beating Kilian’s 1:18.70. The bronze medal was won by one of the most interesting characters at the 1936 Olympics, Freddie McEvoy. The native Australian was a noted racing car driver who moved around in the highest classes, but was also a noted gambler, con artist, and womanizer.