German world champion bobsled brakewoman Leonie Fiebig has officially left the German federation to compete for Team USA, posting on social media that her competitive future now lies across the Atlantic after missing out on Olympic selection last winter.
The Switch to Team USA
Fiebig announced her transition in a recent Instagram post, posing in front of oversized letters spelling out her new allegiance. “It’s official. I will be competing for Team USA from now on,” she wrote, turning the page on a career that brought her nine World Cup victories and a world championship gold medal for Germany.
In 2023, Fiebig teamed up with pilot Kim Kalicki to capture the two-woman bobsled world title in Oberhof. Yet, despite that success, she was left off the roster for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic cycle.
Olympic Disappointment in Germany
Instead of selecting Fiebig for the primary sled, pilot Kim Kalicki partnered with brakewoman Talea Prepens for the winter international circuit. That duo ultimately finished fourth, narrowly missing the podium at a major test event.
Leonie Fiebig, winner of World Cups with Germany, says she’s now racing for USA Bobsled https://t.co/oKQsRNBoOn
“After years of being at the start of every major competition and delivering performance exactly when it mattered, I cannot and will not deny my disappointment,” Fiebig wrote on Instagram following her exclusion. “For the last eight years, I have prepared in every way possible for the Olympic Games. It breaks my heart that I am once again not allowed to show my experience, knowledge, and performance on Olympic soil.”
Ahead of the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, she lost her spot in the main sled at the eleventh hour to pilot Lisa Buckwitz. Fiebig traveled to China only as a reserve athlete, describing the trip at the time as both the most beautiful and most painful journey of her athletic career.
Next Steps on the World Cup Circuit
Rumors of a switch began circulating last month when Fiebig traveled to the United States to participate in the annual national push championships. Whether the move will ultimately secure her an Olympic berth for the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps remains uncertain, but she is immediately eligible for the upcoming international calendar.
The global bobsled circuit gets underway on November 27, opening on one of Fiebig’s former home tracks in Altenberg, Germany. She joins Canadian veteran pilot Kristen Bujnowski as a high-profile international addition to the United States women’s bobsled program ahead of the season opener.
Worth a look
