Portugal has made a historic return to the Bobsleigh World Cup circuit for the first time ever, launching a new bid to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics. The Portuguese duo of Raphael Ribeiro and Abdel Larrinaga debuted with a 31st-place finish in their initial competitive outing.
The pair completed their run in 58.62 seconds, finishing 3.12 seconds behind the event winners. German bobsledders Johannes Lochner and Georg Fleischhauer secured the top spot.
This debut marks a significant effort to bring Portugal back to the Olympic bobsleigh stage. The country has only participated in the sport once before, at the Calgary 1988 Winter Games.
The team’s performance is part of their broader qualification campaign for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
The next stage of the Bobsleigh World Cup is scheduled to take place in Innsbruck, Austria, on November 29.