A SERIES of crashes in training have prompted bobsled officials to make changes to problematic sections of the Whistler Sliding Center track.

Four-man bobsleds from Croatia and Latvia crashed during training yesterday, following a number of crashes in two-man bobsled training on Saturday.

Barnard Castle’s John Jackson was among those to suffer over the weekend.

Royal Marine Corporal Jackson and team-mate Dan Money had been tipped as a genuine British medal prospect in the two-man bobsleigh before their crash.

“The track is very fast so when you make a mistake at that sort of speed it is a fine line between getting it right and getting it wrong – and I was on the wrong side of that line,’’ he said.

Brakeman Money was thrown out of the back as the sled flipped over and careered down the track upside-down.

Jackson was trapped beneath the upturned car with his back slamming into the packed ice until he came to a rest further down the run.

After the Croatia and Latvia sleds crashed International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (FIBT) officials postponed the remainder of the practice session.

Concern focused on a section of track near the 13th turn and, after a meeting with representatives from 11 sliding nations, officials opted to shave a small amount of ice from that curve and from several other areas.

The hope is that the minor changes will help to make the track safer and easier to navigate.

Gregor Schlierenzauer produced a monster 146.5m leap to give Austria gold in the men’s team ski jumping competition in Whistler.

Schierenzauer saved the best to last with his giant jump and almost lost his footing on the landing.

The 20-year-old, a double bronze medallist in individual events, went into a sitting position and almost touched down with one hand but somehow avoided any contact with the ground to ensure the jump stood.

Andrew Young, suffering from a cold, did not complete his leg of the cross country team sprint in Whistler.

Young took part in the sprint semi-final with 19- year-old team-mate Andrew Musgrave.

It had been a close call for 17-year-old Young to enter the race at all and the British coach pulled him out with the British pair well off the pace of the leaders.

In the men’s curling round robin competition Canada maintained their unbeaten run, chalking up an eighth straight win by beating the USA 7-2.