The FIBT World Championships 1981 took place in Cortinia d'Ampezzo, Italy for the seventh time, having hosted the event previously in 1937 (Two-man), 1939 (Four-man), 1950, 1954, 1960, and 1966.
Following the death of West Germany's Toni Pensperger at the track in 1966, numerous safety improvements were done at the track which were satisfactory enough for the FIBT to allow the championships to be hosted. These improvements would not be enough as American bobsled driver James Morgan was killed during the third run of the four-man event.[1][2]
A stuntman fatality on the track a week later, during the first day of filming of For Your Eyes Only, led track officials to shorten the track to its current configuration. Cortina did not host another championship until 1989.
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FIBT World Bobsled Championships 1981 - USA 4-Man - Cortina, Italy
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Transcription
Two man bobsleigh
| Pos | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Gold |  East Germany (Bernhard Germeshausen, Hans-Jürgen Gerhardt)
|
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| Silver | East Germany (Horst Schönau, Andreas Kirchner)
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| Bronze |  Switzerland (Erich Schärer, Josef Benz)
|
Four man bobsleigh
February 8, 1981
| Pos | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | East Germany (Bernhard Germeshausen, Hans-Jürgen Gerhardt, Henry Gerlach, Michael Trübner)
|
|
| Silver | Switzerland (Hans Hiltebrand, Kurt Poletti, Franz Weinberger, Franz Isenegger)
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| Bronze | Switzerland (Erich Schärer, Max Rüegg, Tony Rüegg, Josef Benz)
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Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Germany (GDR) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 2 |  Switzerland (SUI) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Totals (2 entries) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |
References
- ^ Valsecchi, Piero (February 9, 1981). "U.S. bobsledder killed in accident". Schenectady Gazette. (New York). Associated Press. p. 30.
- ^ "U.S. bobsled star dies in mishap on Olympic track". The Day. (New London, Connecticut). Associated Press. February 9, 1981. p. 27.
- 2-Man bobsleigh World Champions
- 4-Man bobsleigh World Champions[permanent dead link]
- Bunksplace.com article on the Morgan death during the 1981 FIBT World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
- For Your Eyes Only production notes featuring the Cortina track[permanent dead link]
This page was last edited on 7 March 2024, at 08:09