Believe It Or Not, U.S. Was Once A Bobsled Power Four-Man Is Last Chance For U.S. To End Its 42-Year Medal Drought
With a command from side pusher Garrett Hines, America’s bobsledders will attempt today to break a 42-year Olympic medal drought.
The two-day, four-man bobsled competition will conclude at the Spiral.
Hines, fellow side pusher Chip Minton and brakeman Randy Jones provide the muscle, pushing USA 1 (a jet-black sled with blue flames painted on the nose) at a dead sprint down the 50-meter straightaway. Brian Shimer jumps in first, and the drive down the 15-turn Spiral is in his hands, starting with a 180-degree curve.
The United States was a bobsled power in the early Olympics, but hasn’t medaled since taking the four-man bronze in 1956. It’s been 50 years since Francis Tyler won the USA’s last gold medal in the four-man at St. Moritz.
Shimer, of Naples, Fla., and USA 2 driver Jim Herberich, of Winchester, Mass., had mediocre performances in the two-man last weekend. Their last chance at these games is the four-man, which started Thursday (PST).
The U.S. bobsledders are inspired by the gold medal won by the U.S. women’s hockey team.
“You can now see it in everybody’s eyes,” said Minton, a 245-pounder from Macon, Ga. “Those girls wanted that medal and went out and won it. That’s the same with us. After watching that, you can’t help but come out here on fire, and that just helped add to it.”
Bobsledding will take a back seat in CBS TV’s coverage tonight, however, as the women’s giant slalom shares the stage with women’s figure skating. It’s a rarity in this Olympics - a day when bad weather hasn’t forced a change in the schedule, meaning CBS can go ahead with its planned program.
That program centers on the women’s figure skating final that includes Michelle Kwan and Tara Lipinski.
xxxx WHAT’S AHEAD Medals at stake: 5,000-meter women’s speedskating, ladies figure skating (free program), men’s slalom, Men’s 4x7.5K biathlon relay, men’s hockey bronze medal.