Team GB face uphill task for Olympic medal in four-man bobsleigh

Team GB face a tough task to win an Olympic medal in four-man bobsleigh as they sit seventh at the halfway mark.

Pilot Brad Hall had shown why the British team were medal contenders in Cortina with a superb first run of 54.39 seconds, leaving them in third place.

But they slowed down in the second round, clocking 55.04 seconds to become the 12th fastest time in the second round, losing four places in the standings ahead of Sunday’s medal-winning heats.

The three German teams remain the team to beat, with Johannes Lochner leading the top three spots with a time of 1:48:61, having won the two-man gold medal earlier this week.

There was a long delay in the competition at the Cortina skating rink after Austria had an accident during the second heat and one of the athletes had to receive treatment on the ice for a long time before being stretched.

Action resumed after a delay of around 20 minutes, but with the track now slower due to rising temperatures, the British team could not find the pace of the first run and now sit at 1:49:43.

More to follow.