Vancouver 2010
The same passion for technology, but this time focused on a different sport: from 2008 onwards, we switched our attention from cars to bobsleighs. It’s not without good reason that bobsleighing is regarded as the Formula 1 of winter sports: each and every achievement involves a synergy between the pilot, the team performance (the push time) and the technology (the Eurotech bobsleigh). It is estimated that each of those components is responsible for one third of the final result.
Bobsleigh is sport in which considerable technical value can be added – especially in the Netherlands, halfway through 2008. Back then, no-one had the slightest idea that the Dutch bobsleigh team would come anywhere near the usual winners or that it would even earn a place on the podium! Expectations for the Games were running high.
Our partners
- BSBN: The Dutch National Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation
- Tom de la Hunty: Head coach
- Rintje Ritsma: Team manager
- DSM
- Modesi
- InnoSport
- Delft University of Technology
- University of Twente
- The elite athletes: Edwin van Calker, Sybren Jansma, Timothy Beck, Arnold van Calker, Arno Klaassen, Esmé Kamphuis, Tine Veenstra, Urta Rozenstruik
Our innovation and products
The TOPBOB – nicknamed ‘Hammerhead Shark’ thanks to its unique shape – developed by InnoSport, DSM, Modesi, Delft University of Technology, and Eurotech, became one of the fastest sleighs in the world at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.
The Hammerhead Shark, subsequently honed by Eurotech, was the fastest sleigh in the world from 2011 to 2014.
Organise and facilitate
In addition to the technical innovations and the production of the bobsleigh itself, we always pay full attention to all that needs to be facilitated for an elite athlete to achieve optimum performance. We take on responsibility for the composition of the team and for facilitating the elite athletes and making peripheral matters our main concern.
The results
An overview
- NL: 2nd place in the World Cup in Köningssee (2009) – Men’s 4-man bobsleigh team – Van Calker
- NL: 4th place in the European Cup in Königssee (2009) – Women’s 2-man Bobsleigh – Team Kamphuis
- NL: 3rd place in the World Cup in St. Moritz (2010) – Men’s 2-man Bobsleigh – Team Van Calker
- Team NL qualified for the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver!
Summary
Qualification for the Olympic Games was a major achievement, but the unfortunately, the Olympic Games in Vancouver ended up being a partial disappointment. The Women’s 2-man bobsleigh finished eighth (as fourth country) and Team Van Calker’s 2-man bobsleigh finished 14th.
The 4-man bobsleigh piloted by Edwin van Calker decided to withdraw for safety reasons, which led to a storm of criticism. Van Calker stood by his decision and never regretted it.
Though we were sad about that decision, it only served to fuel our ambitions. Ambitions which – having been recognised by organisations such as the Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton (BCS) and the Latvian Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation – were realised at the Olympic Games in 2014 (Sochi) and 2018 (Pyeongchang).
Impression
