Eastman Kodak supporting USA bobsled team

Eastman Kodak Co. announced its support of USA Bobsled/Skeleton (USABS), as the four-man bobsled team competes leading up to international competition in 2026. The team’s athletes and head coach joined Kodak executives at Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship to unveil the new, state-of-the-art bobsled, which features the company’s yellow and red logo.

The partnership was made possible through the generosity of entrepreneur and philanthropist Phil Saunders. An avid U.S. winter sports enthusiast, Saunders funded the team’s new bobsled through his company, Saunders Management, and gave Kodak the opportunity to have its brand featured.

“After watching the team compete at the World Championships in Lake Placid and spending time with the athletes and coaches, I was struck by their drive and determination,” said Saunders. “When I learned how much a new sled could impact their performance and strengthen their ability to compete with the best in the world, I wanted to help. Given my close ties with Kodak and Kodak’s long relationship with global sport, it felt right to include them on this journey toward these elite competitions in 2026.”

“We thank Phil Saunders for his generosity and for bringing Kodak together with the team,” said Jim Continenza, Kodak’s Executive Chairman and CEO. “As a proud U.S. manufacturer, our support reflects the shared values of innovation, commitment to American excellence, and performance at the highest level that define both Kodak and USA Bobsled/Skeleton. With our rich history as a former Olympic sponsor, we’re proud to see Kodak’s yellow and red racing alongside the red, white, and blue—and to stand with these athletes on their journey to the world stage.”

Kodak’s involvement with the games spans well over a century, from capturing iconic moments on film to serving as an official Olympic sponsor for several decades. That legacy extends to Rochester with the historic “Tyler Sled,” which was on display alongside the new bobsled. The sled was designed and raced by two Kodak engineers and won a Bronze Medal at the 1956 Winter Olympics.

Today’s announcement also highlighted the four-man bobsled team racing towards the world stage: Frank Del Duca, Josh Williamson, Boone Niederhofer, and Charlie Volker, who all placed fourth at last year’s World Championships. Del Duca, Williamson, and Volker were Olympians in Beijing 2022, while Niederhofer, a former Texas A&M wide receiver, makes his push toward his first appearance in international competition. They were joined by legendary coach Tuffy Latour, who has guided multiple bobsled teams to Olympic and World Championship medals, and Olympic bobsled analyst and USABS Hall of Fame inductee John Morgan, who introduced the athletes and unveiled the new Kodak-branded sled.