Allianz and BSD launch partnership to improve safety in bobsleighing

The German Bobsleigh, Luge, and Skeleton Federation (BSD) is pleased to announce a partnership with Allianz SE. The aim of the collaboration is to increase the safety of athletes in bobsleigh and to develop innovative solutions to minimize risk.

At the center of this partnership lies the “Allianz Safety Sled,” which will be inaugurated on January 4, 2025 in Winterberg. The bobsled, equipped with the latest sensors and an on-board camera by the Federation, will comprehensively analyze the track conditions on race days. The data collected will be shared among the pilots of all federations; it will provide valuable insights into the track conditions and highlight critical areas, for example. This will enable athletes to prepare optimally even before their first run.

“We are proud to work with Allianz on this pioneering project to improve athlete safety,” says Thomas Schwab, Chairman of the BSD. “The Allianz Safety Sled represents our shared commitment to using data from the Safety Sled to gain more information and thereby take safety in bobsleighing to a new level.”

“This initiative not only serves to directly improve safety for pilots, but also contributes to long-term safety research. The data collected will be carefully evaluated to develop future safety protocols and innovations in bobsleigh,”  says Eike Bürgel, Global Head of Olympic & Paralympic Program at Allianz SE.

Next year, the focus will lie on protecting the bobsleigh pilots. The Allianz Center for Technology (AZT) will provide guidance on this.

“The Allianz Center for Technology has been brought into the project to transfer the experience we have gained in improving passenger safety in the automotive industry to bobsleigh construction – a similar approach to that previously taken in a collaboration between the AZT and Formula 1,” says Carsten Reinkemeyer, head of safety research at the AZT.

Through its new partnership with the German Bobsleigh, Luge, and Skeleton Federation, Allianz is expanding its broad commitment to both professional and amateur sports. Allianz is a strategic partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Movements and has contributed to the successful organization of Paris 2024. Allianz will also be closely involved in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina. For many years, it has also been a partner of FC Bayern and a sponsor of the men's and women's teams. In addition to these global partnerships, Allianz supports numerous local clubs in Germany, ranging from Alba Berlin Women's Basketball to the Mannheim Hockey Club. The focus here is particularly on work with children and young people. Allianz also promotes sports and exercise among young people through the MoveNow initiative.