[1] The German team of André Lange and Kevin Kuske were the defending Olympic champions in this event.

[2] Switzerland's team of Ivo Rüegg and Cedric Grand were the defending world champions in this event.

[3] The test event held at the Olympic venue was won by the German duo of Thomas Florschütz and Marc Kühne.

[4] The last World Cup event prior to the 2010 Games took place in Igls, Austria (southeast of Innsbruck) on 23 January 2010 and was won by the Swiss duo of Beat Hefti and Thomas Lamparter[5] while Rüegg won the overall World Cup in the two-man event.

[22] The German duo of Lange and Kuske won his record fourth gold medal in bobsleigh at the Winter Olympics[22] and became the second repeat winners of the two-man event after Switzerland's Gustav Weder and Donat Acklin won the event in both 1992 and 1994.