USA Bobsled and Skeleton (USABS) has secured a significant multi-year endorsement deal with American Honda, marking a major boost for the sliding sports federation as it prepares for the upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in 2026 and the 2030 Games in the French Alps. Announced on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, this partnership brings both financial backing and cutting-edge technical support, positioning USABS for competitive success on the world stage.
Honda’s involvement goes far beyond traditional sponsorship. The company has become the official premier technology and automotive partner for USABS, granting the teams access to its state-of-the-art wind tunnel facility in Ohio, known as the Honda Automotive Laboratories of Ohio (HALO). This access is a game-changer for the federation, as aerodynamic optimization is critical in a sport where races are often decided by hundredths of a second.
Wind tunnel testing enables precise adjustments to sled positioning and design, helping athletes reduce drag and improve speed. USABS CEO Aron McGuire explained to The Associated Press, “Long term, they’ll be playing a role in helping us design bobsleds. We’ll be looking at building four-man sleds initially. They will be providing the aerodynamic expertise and providing us insights, recommendations, into how we can best design a sled as it relates to other factors, like safety of the athletes sitting in the sled and the performance side of the design.”
Indeed, the partnership is expected to evolve from research and development into actual sled manufacturing. Currently, USABS is revitalizing its sled fleet with partners deBotech and Advance Mfg. Co., Inc., focusing on replacing two-person sleds and shifting attention to new four-man sleds planned for debut after the Milan-Cortina Games. The data and engineering insights from Honda’s wind tunnel testing will be invaluable in this process.
To demonstrate the depth of the collaboration, Acura—the luxury automotive brand under Honda—will have its logos prominently displayed on USABS sleds for all competitions through the 2030 Olympics. Larry Geise, executive vice president of Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, highlighted the enthusiasm of Honda’s engineering team: “In sports where sleds can reach speeds of over 90 miles per hour and the difference between first and last can be measured in fractions of a second, our Honda engineers are eager to apply their engineering skills and racing background to the USABS programs.”
Financial specifics of the deal remain undisclosed, but McGuire emphasized the significance of the agreement. “It’s at the top of the cash partners that we’ve had,” he said, underscoring the importance of this support as the federation heads into a pivotal Olympic cycle.
The timing of this announcement is crucial, with the Milan-Cortina Olympics just seven months away in February 2026. The U.S. bobsled and skeleton teams have strong medal prospects, buoyed by recent performances and decorated athletes. Kaysha Love is the reigning women’s monobob champion, while Kaillie Humphries Armbruster and Elana Meyers Taylor rank as the two most decorated female drivers in Olympic history. Adding to the momentum, the American duo of Austin Florian and Mystique Ro captured gold in the mixed team skeleton event at the world championships earlier this year.
These achievements highlight the potential for USABS to capitalize on Honda’s support and engineering prowess. The partnership also deepens Honda’s ties to the Olympic movement; just last month, the company announced a separate agreement to sponsor Team USA and the LA28 Olympic Games, signaling a broader commitment to elite sports.
In practical terms, the collaboration will see USABS athletes traveling to Ohio in September 2025 for further wind tunnel testing aimed at optimizing sled positioning and aerodynamics ahead of the upcoming Olympic season. This hands-on involvement ensures that the feedback loop between engineering and athlete performance is tight and effective.
Given the speeds involved—sleds can exceed 90 miles per hour—and the razor-thin margins separating competitors, the integration of advanced automotive engineering into sled design could prove decisive. The partnership represents a melding of high-performance sport and cutting-edge technology, with safety and competitive edge both prioritized.
USABS’s CEO McGuire summed up the strategic importance: “We’re looking at building four-man sleds initially, with aerodynamic expertise and insights into design that consider both athlete safety and performance. This is a long-term collaboration that will help us stay at the forefront of the sport.”
With the Milan-Cortina Olympics on the horizon and the 2030 Games in sight, USABS’s alliance with Honda is set to redefine American bobsled and skeleton performance, blending innovation with athletic excellence in pursuit of Olympic glory.
