Contact: Amanda Bird, USBSF Marketing & Communications Manager
(518) 354-2250, abird@usbsf.com
Men’s two-man bobsled racing begins Saturday
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (Feb. 17, 2012)–The U.S. men’s bobsled team made history the last time World Championships were held in Lake Placid three years ago by claiming the four-man bobsled title for the first time in 50 years. Now the team will seek to make history again by earning the first two-man bobsled World Championship ever in the history of the U.S. program. The first two heats will take place at 9 am tomorrow, and the deciding final heats are schedules for 9 am on Sunday.
“We have high hopes coming into World Championships on our home track,” said Brian Shimer, men’s bobsled head coach. “Competing in our own backyard on a familiar and difficult track should give us the advantage. We’re in the mix in two-man this season, and we’re hoping to dial things in and have some good results.”
Steven Holcomb (Park City, Utah) is best known as one of the world’s best four-man bobsled pilot, he began to carve a name for himself in two-man this season. Holcomb will team with the defending world push champion Steve Langton (Melrose, Mass.) in the Under Armour sled as they attempt to claim the first ever two-man World Championship title for the U.S. Holcomb earned bronze when the championships were in Lake Placid in 2009, and he hopes to climb to the top of the podium this time around.
National Guardsman John Napier (Lake Placid, N.Y.) will team with Army World Class Athlete member Chris Fogt (Alpine, Utah) in the Alamo sled, while Nick Cunningham (Monterey, Calif.) and Dallas Robinson (Georgetown, Ky.) will partner as USA-3.
The U.S. will battle a competitive field of accomplished World and Olympic medalists for the 2012 title. Russian Alexander Zubkov from Russia has already made a statement by claiming the World Cup four-man title, but he was only third best in two-man points. The German contingency of Manuel Machata and Maximilian Arndt will be eager to take the crown on U.S. soil, while Lyndon Rush will lead Canada in the hunt for the medals. Beat Hefti from Switzerland was the overall two-man bobsled leader, and his fast starts combined with his experience on the Lake Placid track will make him a medal threat.
All three U.S. teams are expected to be in the mix for a podium finish. Here’s what the men’s bobsled pilots had to say about the upcoming two-man race:
Steven Holcomb: “I’ve had a great two-man season thus far, minus the uncooperative weather. I’m strong and fast, and now I’m on my home track. Two years ago I finished third, so I know that I have what it takes to be in the medal hunt for a two-man World Championship title.
“Langton and I have been pushing well together all season, and have a number of international medals. I know he’s ready.
“We have a great support team behind us with the U.S. Olympic Committee, the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, the Olympic Regional Development Authority and the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center. They’ve really worked hard to provide us with all the tools and necessities we will need to be successful.”
John Napier: “Racing in Lake Placid is an amazing opportunity for the whole U.S. team to place well. I am confident that my lines are some of the best in the world being on my home track. My brakeman, Chris Fogt, and I both know that if we are fast enough in the push, we will be fast enough at the bottom. Chris and I are war veterans, and we’ll be fighting alongside one another again this weekend in hopes of representing our country with all our hearts and love for this great nation.”
Nick Cunningham: “Words can’t explain how excited I am to be representing my country in World Championships. I have worked very hard all season to try and secure our third sled, and in the end it all paid off. There is, however, a job to get done, and that’s shooting for a top six finish. I am fortunate enough to have World Championships on my home track.”
The first two heats of the men’s two-man bobsled race will be followed by the women’s bobsled finals at 5 pm.
The International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation will provide World Championship highlights following each race for requesting SNTV subscribing broadcast organizations. The news feed will be released one hour following the last event of the day. Broadcast partners are asked to adhere to a list of guidelines that can be found by clicking here. Please contact Heather Le Pere at (914) 525-0285 or via email at hlepere@hotmail.com for satellite coordinates.
Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online at www.Whiteface.com. If you can’t attend the events in person, watch live streaming of all World Championship races on www.FIBT.com. You can also download the Digotel Live+ for iOS iPhone app to watch from your mobile device, or catch the action on Universal Sports.
For media inquiries, please contact Amanda Bird, USBSF Marketing & Communications Manager, at abird@usbsf.com, or at (518) 354-2250.
About the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation
The United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, based in Lake Placid, N.Y., is the national governing body for the sports of bobsled and skeleton in the United States. The USBSF would like to thank its sponsors, suppliers and contributors for their support: BMW of North America, Under Armour, United States National Guard, Kampgrounds of America, National Strength and Conditioning Association, Vivat!, Global Forwarding, KBC Helmets, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, EDAS/Ripxx, UberSense, Tesa Tape and Ferris Mfg. Corp. For more information, please visit the USBSF website at http://bobsled.teamusa.org.
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