Bath bobsleigh team celebrate first world championships four-man medal in 84 years

Greg Cackett, Taylor Lawrence , Arran Gulliver and Brad Hall celebrate winning silver in the world championships. Credit: VIESTURS LACIS / @THE_BBSA

Team GB is celebrating its first four-man bobsleigh World Championship medal in 84 years - thanks to its team based in Bath.

Brad Hall, Arran Gulliver, Taylor Lawrence and Greg Cackett won silver for Great Britain in St Moritz on Sunday 5 February.

No British four-man team has been on the World Championship podium since Frederick McEvoy piloted the team to silver in Cortina in 1939.

Hall and and his three teammates ended the wait with their performance at the birthplace of sliding sports in St Moritz.

Brad Hall steered his team to silver in St Moritz. Credit: VIESTURS LACIS / @THE_BBSA

The British quartet clocked a combined time of 4' 20.3", finishing joint with Latvia’s Emils Cipulis and 0.69" behind Germany’s Francesco Friedrich.

Pilot Brad Hall and his team have now taken their medal tally this term into double figures, with this historic win added to nine medals on the World Cup circuit.

Brad Hall said, "It’s an incredible achievement and I’m really proud of the team. It’s been a hell of a long time since a four-man crew has won a World Championship medal. To be the ones who have bucked that trend is pretty special.

"We knew we could make the podium but we still had to go out there and perform, and we did that - just like we’ve done all season, to be honest. It’s an awesome result.

"We got so close to Friedrich after Run 3 and we thought gold could be on the cards but, fair play to the Germans, they pulled it out of the bag in the final run."

The team are heading to Igls in Austria for the final two four-man races of the World Cup campaign in a Saturday and Sunday double header.

They are currently tied at the top of the standings with Friedrich and co and are on the verge of a first overall World Cup medal since the mid 1990s. 

Bobsleigh pilot Brad Hall has his sights set on further success. Credit: Viesturs Lacis / @The_BBSA

Brad Hall added, "We’ve had an amazing season so far and we want more next week in Igls - we want that overall Four-man World Cup title. We’re so close to making it happen."

The silver medal follows the British Skeleton team winning silver and bronze in the team event and Bath-based skeleton racer Matt Weston being crowned men's World Champion.

Bath has a track record for producing medallists in winter sports, including double Olympic champion Lizzy Yarnold and Olympic gold medallist Amy Williams.

The University of Bath has the UK’s only bobsleigh and skeleton push-start track and is partners with the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association.

The BBSA offers taster sessions. You can find out more about them here.