S. Korean bobsled team loses Olympic berth in two-man event

SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's two-man bobsled team lost its berth at
the Vancouver Winter Olympics after Austria and Italy, both ranked above South
Korea, suddenly reversed their earlier decision to quit the games, the team's
pilot said Tuesday.
South Korea's current global ranking in the event stands at 19th place after its
national team finished 20th in the two-man bobsled World Cup in Italy last month.
Berths for the upcoming Vancouver Olympics are given to the top 17 countries in a
global ranking by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (FIBT).
The FIBT said as recently as last month that South Korea would have a place in
the two-man bobsled event in Vancouver as either Austria or Italy were expected
to give up their Olympic berth.
The two European countries later changed their positions and decided to
participate in the Olympics, according to Kang Kwang-bae, the pilot of South
Korea's bobsled team.
"The FIBT notified me that our two-man team failed to gain a berth at the
Vancouver Winter Olympics," said Kang, whose four-man bobsled team has already
advanced to the games.
"Austria and Italy, which intended to send one team, suddenly changed their plans
and will now send two teams."
Japan, which ranks 18th in the two-man event, secured its own Olympic berth as
Britain confirmed an earlier decision not to send a team to the Olympics.
brk@yna.co.kr
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