World Champions Kaillie Humphries/Lauren Gibbs to lead Womens Bobsleigh squad
Lake Placid (RWH) Some well-known names are on the list of the newly announced US national team. The federation USA Bobsled & Skeleton (USABS) announced the squads for the BMW IBSF World Cup following the qualification races in Lake Placid.
In Women’s Bobsleigh, the 2015 and 2017 World Champion and three times Olympic medallist Elana Meyers Taylor earned her spot following a season off and having her son Nico in February 2020. Nicole Vogt is back in the driver’s seat after having hand surgery last season. Kaillie Humphries and also push athlete Lauren Gibbs locked in her spot as USA-1 by winning the 2020 BMW IBSF World Championships in Altenberg (GER) last season.
In the push athletes squad, 2013 Team World Champion Lolo Jones makes her comeback after a break since January 2018. The 38-years-old finished fourth at the 2012 Olympic Games in London in the 100 meter hurdles and 11th at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. She will be joined by Nicole Brungardt, Colleen Fotsch, Sylvia Hoffman, Lake Kwaza, and Emily Renna.
In Women’s Skeleton, Megan Henry earned her spot as USA-1. Four-time Olympian Katie Uhlaender will be back in BMW IBSF World Cup after one season break following the 2018 Winter Games and one winter in the IBSF North American and Intercontinental Cup. 2018 Olympian Kendall Wesenberg will enter the season as USA-3.
On the Men’s Skeleton team, three-time Olympian John Daly won the qualification to earn USA-1. Having not competed since the 2018 Winter Olympics, he will need to complete an International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation’s rule and has to compete in five races of IBSF North American or Europe Cup on three different tracks before he’s eligible to compete on the World Cup circuit. Austin Florian earned his spot as USA-2.
The men’s bobsleigh national team is expected to be announced on Dec. 15th. The US athletes plan to join the BMW IBSF World Cup circuit in January 2021. ©RWH2020
Photos: IBSF / Viesturs Lacis
