ODDS and EVENS | Japan Bobsleigh Team Misses Out on Olympics Due to Rule Mishap

"To err is human; to forgive divine," English poet Alexander Pope wrote in 1711. That said, there's no easy way to mentally erase ― or forgive ― a mistake that shattered an Olympic dream. Japan's two-man bobsleigh team can't compete at the upcoming Milan Cortina Olympics due to the national governing body officials' misunderstanding of qualification rules.

The Japan Bobsleigh, Luge and Skeleton Federation (JBLSF) announced on Tuesday, January 13 that the nation's two-man bobsleigh team will miss the 2026 Olympics because of its procedural blunder.

What happened?

According to the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation, starting in 2024, national squads were required "to earn points in four-man events in specific international competitions for two-man teams to qualify for the Olympics," Jiji Press reported.

But Japan didn't participate in the required four-man competitions to give its two-man bobsleigh team a chance to secure a spot in Italy's Olympic event.

Why didn't Japan compete in these events?

"Our competition committee misinterpreted the [required] condition," an unnamed JBLSF official said on Tuesday, according to Kyodo News. "We deeply apologize to the athletes who have taken part in our trip plans that did not meet the preconditions, after pouring their hearts and souls into the challenges so far."

The official added, "We also sincerely apologize to the people who have been supporting us."

In the aftermath of Japan's failure to qualify in two-man bobsleigh, the JBLSF insisted it will make necessary changes to keep abreast of international rules.

"We will discuss and establish a system to prevent recurrence [of this problem] with the JOC (Japanese Olympic Committee)," the JBLSF was quoted as saying by Sports Nippon.

Japan's Bobsleigh Mix-Up

In 2024, details of the new qualification criteria for the Olympics were outlined at an International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation meeting.

Numerous media outlets reported this week that JBLSF personnel didn't attend the meeting.

As it turned out, that contributed to the unfortunate misunderstanding cited above.

In addition, the JBLSF "also overlooked the email notifying Japan of the rule change," Jiji Press reported.

We've all misplaced important paperwork or missed deadlines for school or work over the years. So it's understandable that an email to the Japan Bobsleigh, Luge and Skeleton Federation with vital information could've been missed.

Even so, it says here, the lines of communication between Japan's bobsleigh officials and the global governing body need to be proactive moving forward. And the onus is on the JBLSF to verify information pertaining to its athletes and competition rules that they must follow.

Based on the pre-Milan Cortina Games' procedural calamity, one of Japan's aspiring 2026 Olympic bobsledders expressed profound disappointment.

"It felt like all our efforts up to now were meaningless," the unnamed bobsledder said this week, according to Kyodo News. He added, "I couldn't stop crying."

*Skier Chiharu Igaya in a 1952 file photo. (PUBLIC DOMAIN)*

Winter Olympic Success for Japan

Historically, Japan's strongest Winter Olympics sports are speed skating (26 medals), ski jumping (14) and figure skating (11). Skier Chiharu Igaya claimed the first of Japan's 76 Winter Olympic medals to date at the 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo Games in Italy, earning silver in the men's slalom.

Japan has never collected a medal in Olympic bobsleigh competition. Its top result in the event was achieved at the 1972 Sapporo Olympics, with Susumu Esashika and Kazumi Abe placing 15th overall.

At the 2026 Olympics, Japan was planning to field its first two-man bobsleigh team since the 2014 Sochi Games, where Hiroshi Suzuki and Hisashi Miyazaki finished 26th.

Here's hoping the bobsleigh disappointment of 2026 becomes a catalyst for positive administrative changes within the JBLSF. And, moving forward, that leads to future success for Japan's national team bobsledders.