Uhlaender and Florian US Skeleton Champions 2021
Park City (RWH) The federation USA Bobsled/Skeleton, USABS, started their team selection races for the coming Olympic season 2021-2022. In Park City, the athletes competed in all six disciplines featured at the Winter Games Beijing 2022.
Frank Del Duca/Blaine McConnell won the 2-man Bobsleigh competition ahead of Sam Moeller/Boone Niederhofer and Hunter Church/Hakeem Abdul Saboor. In 4-Man Bobsleigh, the team of pilot Hunter Church took the win followed by Geoff Gadbois and Frank Del Duca as second and third.
2014 and 2018 Olympic silver medallist Elana Meyers Taylor won both competitions of the female bobsleigh athletes. In 2-woman Bobsleigh, she teamed up with 2014 Olympic bronze medallist Aja Evans who came back from retirement to win the first selection race ahead of
Brittany Reinbolt/Colleen Fotsch and Nicole Vogt/Emily Renna. Also in Monobob, Meyers Taylor won ahead of Reinbolt and Vogt.
Kaillie Humphries, World Champion in 2-woman Bobsleigh and Women’s Monobob, earned a bye with her two titles at the BMW IBSF World Championships 2021 in Altenberg (GER). Per the criteria, she must participate in team trials as a forerunner and then will be officially named to the 2021-2022 national team by the selection committee going into next season.
In Skeleton, the athletes competed in two races with the four heats combined for the 2021 National Championships. In Women’s Skeleton, 2012 World Champion Katie Uhlaender won ahead of Megan Henry and Sara Roderick. Henry, who tied with Uhlaender in both first heats, set a new Park City track record with 49,42 seonds. The former record of 49.74 seconds was set in a 2013 World Cup race by Noelle Pikus-Pace (USA).
Austin Florian is the 2021 US Champion in Men’s Skeleton. Andrew Blaser finished second ahead of John Daly.
The US team trials now continue in Lake Placid with a chance for additional races in the fall if the schedule permits. The 2021-2022 USABS National Team is expected to be officially named at the start of next season. ©RWH2021
