Greenwood and Great Britain feeling better than ever as bobsleigh team race to four-man World Cup bronze

Team Kennet sprint coach Leon Greenwood was part of Great Britain’s four-man bobsleigh team that won bronze at the World Cup in Lillehammer, Norway.

The British quartet finished behind two German teams; the Germans have been the dominant force in the event of late, with Olympic champion Francesco Friedrich captaining his foursome to victory.

It was an especially spirited showing by Greenwood and his teammates and a sign, the British will hope, of even better to come.

Pilot Brad Hall is still working his way back to full fitness following surgery on a back injury in October while Greg Cackett has struggled with an Achilles issue. Greenwood, who once harboured dreams of becoming an Olympic sprinter before suffering a serious injury three years ago, has been able to enjoy a prolonged period of full fitness for the first time in several years.

It’s been a memorable start to 2024 for Greenwood, who announced last week that he and his partner were expecting a baby girl.

The GB team have one more World Cup meeting in Sigulda, Latvia, beginning on Friday before turning their attention to the World Championships in Winterberg, Germany, between February 24 and March 3.

Greenwood was part of the team that raced to a historic silver medal at the 2022 World Championship in Saint Moritz and is hoping he and his teammates can go one better this time.

“The gold medal has to be the aim,” he said.

“We’ve had a lot of injuries, so it has been really challenging, but people are starting to get back fit again.”

In the long term, Greenwood is dreaming of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan – and he feels he's sledding in the right direction.

He said: “That’s the end goal. I just need to keep healthy, not overtrain and not do silly things. I used to do extra training all the time, but that isn’t how to stay fit.

“I feel prepared and I feel fit. I’ve got a long way to go but I’m just enjoying it while I can.”