CANADA: WINTER OLYMPICS VANCOUVER 2010 - Americans end 62-year draught in bobsleigh with gold medal

Record ID: 788865

  • Title: CANADA: WINTER OLYMPICS VANCOUVER 2010 - Americans end 62-year draught in bobsleigh with gold medal
  • Date: 1st March 2010
  • Summary: WHISTLER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA (FEBRUARY 27, 2010) (REUTERS) TEAM USA-1 WALKING INTO NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) USA-1 DRIVER, STEVEN HOLCOMB, SAYING: "Ending the drought is huge, I mean that's . . .it finally puts us back on the map. It shows that we're a contender. The United States used to be a major player back in the 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, and then we kind of lost momentum a little bit and our program suffered. And now we're on our way back, and it's just huge to finally break through and get that gold medal that we've been striving for since, you know, way back in '93 when they brought our the first Bodine."
  • Embargoed: 16th March 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Canada
  • Country: Canada
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAEWONHJIKRVLEAC01HTB8RMQ5
  • Story Text: Steve Holcomb's Night Train tamed Whistler's wild track to bring home the first American gold medal in Olympic four-man bobsleigh for 62 years on Saturday (February 27).
    Holcomb and his crew held on to a comfortable lead in the fourth and final run to present the United States with a triumph in the showcase sliding event they had been waiting for since the 1948 Games in St Moritz, Switzerland.
    "Ending the drought is huge, I mean that's . . .it finally puts us back on the map. It shows that we're a contender," Holcomb told reporters afterwards.
    "The United States used to be a major player back in the 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, and then we kind of lost momentum a little bit and our program suffered," he added.
    "Now we're on our way back, and it's just huge to finally break through and get that gold medal that we've been striving for since, you know, way back in '93 when they brought our the first Bodine."
    Germany's Andre Lange, bidding for a record third consecutive four-man Olympic gold before retiring, failed to repeat his double in Turin but managed to climb a spot in the final run of his last event to claim silver.
    Canada I, with Lyndon Rush at the helm, were in the silver medal position before the last run but had to settle for the bronze, just 0.01 seconds behind the Germans, on another rainy day on Blackcomb mountain.
    Lange, nicknamed the Cannibal for his habit of winning everything, used his vast driving experience to deny Canada the silver by the narrowest of margins, breaking the hearts of thousands of red Maple Leaf flag-waving fans.
    The day, however, belonged to the Americans and Rush admitted he had been impressed by Holcomb's immaculate driving down the world's fastest track, saying the US team whipped them in "our back yard".
    Lange, too, paid tribute to Holcomb, who can proudly say he has beaten the sport's ultimate driving machine.
    The 36-year-old German, who confirmed his days in a dangerous sport he has dominated for over a decade were over, called Holcomb a "worthy Olympic champion".
    "To beat Andre, to beat the best in the world at the best event, the biggest event, is a huge feat. He's won five of these . .. four of them? Four golds and a silver. That's huge. He's by far one of the best drivers ever to set foot in this sports and to beat him when it counts the most is cool," Holcomb said about his friend.
    "It's been kind of a strange feeling. I'm pretty good friends with him, and he's still supportive and gives me high-fives and what not, but I know he really wanted this bad, and I'm happy to rain on his parade," the new Olympic champion added.
    Holcomb's shiny black sled had thundered into the lead on Friday, clocking the fastest time and beating the track record on each of the first two runs.
    The bulky 29-year-old and crewmen Justin Olsen, Steve Mesler and Curtis Tomasevicz were marginally slower in Saturday's last two runs, needing 51.19 and 51.52 seconds to cover the winding 1,400-metre track.
    "It's a surreal feeling, I don't know when it's going to hit me for sure," said Tomasevicz about winning. "Right now it's all a whirlwind, and I hope I come back to earth real soon."
    That was enough, however, for the four to raise their fists the moment they crossed the line. A quick look at the board showed a 0.38-second lead on the Germany I sled and confirmed they had made an American dream come true.
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