Posted on 02/23/2006 10:22:27 AM PST by jonesat
TORINO, Italy (Army News Service, Feb. 22, 2006) – Spc. Steven Holcomb on Sunday finished the Two-Man Bobsled competition at the XX Winter Olympics in 14th place – 2.83 seconds away from gold.
The driver of USA-2, Holcomb, along with brakeman Bill Schuffenhauer, completed the two-day, four-run competition in the Italian Alps at Cesana Pariol with a cumulative time of 3 minutes, 46.21 seconds.
“I’m more of a Four-Man guy,” Holcomb said. “I was actually using this as kind of my warm-up to get the experience, get the feel of what it’s like being up there.”
Holcomb finished the first race of the competition in 13th place after two new track records and a new push record were set by his competitors: Swiss-1, piloted by Martin Annen, started the competition with a track record of 55.54; Russian-1, piloted by Alexandre Zoubkov, answered with a new track push record of 4.76 and then tied the Swiss sled for first; Germany-1, piloted by Andre Lange, then broke the track record set just two sleds before with a time of 55.28. Following Saturday’s second race, Holcomb slid to 14th place in the competition with a combined time of 1:52.12 – 1.11 off the lead.
“I think a lot of it was runner selection,” said the combat engineer from Park City, Utah who is a member of the Utah National Guard. “All week the ice has been negative 15 degrees then all of a sudden it’s negative five degrees. But I was more concerned about the sled and my driving than I was the runners.”
While he tried to make adjustments to his equipment, the sled and his driving on the second day, the snowstorm at competition time made it difficult. He said he knew he was probably too far down to medal. His goal was to better his previous Two-Man best.
“I was eighteenth last year in the world championships and this year I’m fourteenth,” he said. “It’s a step up so I’m pretty happy. Plus I get the Olympic experience and all the jitters out of the way. I’m looking forward to the Four-Man.”
In addition to Holcomb and Schuffenhauer, Todd Hays, the 2002 Four-Man Silver medalist also competed for the United States. Along with him in USA-1 was brakeman Pavle Jovanovic. They finished the competition in seventh place, 1.34 away from gold.
Twenty-nine sleds from 19 countries took part in the competition. Andre Lange and Kevin Kuske took home Gold for Germany, Pierre Lueders and Lascelles Brown of Canada won Silver and Martin Annen and Beat Hefti of Switzerland won the Bronze.
Holcomb and Hays are both scheduled to return to the bobsled track Friday and Saturday as drivers for the United States in the four-man competition. Also scheduled to take part in that Olympic event is WCAP athlete Capt. Lorenzo Smith, an air defense artillery officer from Kankakee, Ill. He will serve as brakeman for Holcomb’s USA-2 sled.
“This course is one where you need both a fast start and a driver who is technical all the way down the track” said Smith, a former track star at The United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. “This track is built for me. It’s the fastest in the world and that’s what I’m best at.”
For information about the Army World Class Athlete Program visit http://armywcap.com.
For stories and updates on Army athletes at the Winter Olympics visit http://www4.army.mil/olympics/2006/.
(Editor’s note: Jack L. Gillund serves with USACFSC Public Affairs.)
I wonder if it was because he had to put armor plate on his bobsled? And that the Army wouldn't buy it, so he had to buy his own?
/silly
I wonder if it was because he had to put armor plate on his bobsled? And that the Army wouldn't buy it, so he had to buy his own?
/silly
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