X-Trail Bobsleigh Team Biographies
Diego Menardi
Bobsleigh Manufacturer
Director at European bobsleigh factory El fòuro in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy; Diego Menardi built the world’s first seven-seater bobsleigh. He started working on bobsleighs back in 1979 and since 1985 he has built competition sledges for national teams, including the likes of Canada, Italy and the Principality of Monaco. Diego is a true veteran in the bobsleigh world.
Diego is also a proud member of a 60 strong orchestra, in his hometown of Cortina. During the tourist season you’ll often find Diego performing in Cortina’s central square. When Diego is not building bobsleighs or playing the cornet you can find him hiking, skiing or biking with his wife and two daughters.
Sean Olsson
Bobsleigh Pilot
Olympian Sean Olsson has represented Team GB in three Winter Olympic Games. Sean made his debut in 1992 in Albertville, France. Two years later, Olsson competed in Lillehammer before claiming a momentous bronze at the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998. Sean was also the Head Coach to the women’s GB Bobsleigh team for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. He has been British Champion a whopping 20 times (in two and four man bob) and was the Army and Interservice champion for ten years. He is currently the Head Coach for the British Army Bobsleigh team, after serving in the Parachute Regiment for 26 years. Sean was the first man to drive the seven-seater bobsleigh down the track in Igls and serves as our official bobsleigh pilot.
Sean confesses to being a bit of a petrolhead and has an inherent love for all things automotive, on both two and four wheels.
Sean likes to keep fit by running, cycling, weight training and is also a qualified PT Instructor.
Ian Richardson
Bobsleigh Expert
Former Director of Sport for the British Bobsleigh Association, Ian Richardson is a high-profile and well respected figure in the sport. The founder of IceSpeed Ltd, Ian provides bobsleigh related consultancy and events. Ian also sits on the Membership Committee of the newly formed British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association.
Ian was involved in Channel 4’s reality TV show ‘The Jump’, as part of the expert team and has also appeared on ITV’s This Morning and Serbian TV.
Ian’s interest in bobsleigh began in 1998, whilst serving in the Royal Air Force; during this time he was responsible for the Royal Air Force’s sleds and associated equipment. Ian can still be seen hurtling down ice tracks across Europe today.
Notes To Editors
About Nissan in Europe
Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 17,600 staff across locally-based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last calendar year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 675,000 vehicles including award-winning crossovers, small cars, SUVs, commercial vehicles and electric vehicles, including the Nissan LEAF, the world's most popular electric vehicle with 96% of customers willing to recommend the car to friends. Nissan now offers a strong line-up of 23 diverse and innovative models in Europe under the Nissan and Datsun brands.
About Nissan Motor Co.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 247,500 employees globally, Nissan sold almost 5.32 million vehicles and generated revenue of 11.38 trillion yen (USD 103.6 billion) in fiscal 2014. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. Nissan leads the world in zero-emission mobility, dominated by sales of the LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and the best-selling EV in history.
