Lolo Jones was America’s sweetheart heading into the London Olympics despite others having faster times in the 100m Hurdles. Now the track star is trying her hand at the U.S. Bobsled team. Whodda thunk? She joins a team with a mix of veterans and rookies; she’s not the only female Olympic athlete on the roster. Olympians Tianna Madison and Emily Azevedo were also named to the national team. When’s the last time the Bobsled received this much attention? It’s likely been 20 years, when NFL football star Hershel Walker earned a spot on the 1992 Olympic team.
PRESS RELEASE
U.S. national bobsled team named
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (Oct. 25, 2012) – The 2012-2013 national bobsled team is composed of a diverse roster of powerful and determined athletes who are eager to carry the momentum from last season’s success into the upcoming World Cup circuit.
This season’s women’s bobsled team is a mix of rookies and veterans. Elana Meyers (Douglasville, Ga.) received a bye onto the team for her World Championship bronze medal performance last season and will pilot USA I. Jamie Greubel (Newtown, Pa.) won both selection races to earn her position as pilot of USA II, while Jazmine Fenlator (Wayne, N.J.) was named to USA III in her third season as a driver.
The six women’s bobsled push athletes named to the national team includes: World Indoor Champion and American record holder 100-meter hurdler Lolo Jones (Des Moines, Iowa), 4×100-meter relay Olympic gold medalist Tianna Madison (Elyria, Ohio), 2010 Olympian Emily Azevedo (Chico, Calif.), World Championship medalist Katie Eberling (Palos Hills, Ill.), current Lake Placid start record holder Aja Evans (Chicago, Ill.), and former University of California at Berkeley track athlete Cherrelle Garrett (Hayward, Calif.).
Reigning World Champion Steven Holcomb (Park City, Utah) will once again drive the men’s team USA I sled. National Guardsman Nick Cunningham (Monterey, Calif.) earned his position at the helm of USA II after sweeping team selection races, while Cory Butner (Yucaipa, Calif.) will pilot USA III.
The pool of men’s bobsled push athletes is one of the strongest yet. The selection features Holcomb’s world championship push crew of Steve Langton (Melrose, Mass.), Justin Olsen (San Antonio, Texas) and Curt Tomasevicz (Shelby, Neb.). The remaining nine athletes named to the team includes veterans Adam Clark (Owenton, Ky.), Johnny Quinn (McKinney, Texas), Chuck Berkeley (Walnut Creek, Calif.), Laszlo Vandracsek (Phoenix, Ariz.), Chris Fogt (Alpine, Utah), Dallas Robinson (Georgetown, Ky.), Jesse Beckom (Chicago, Ill.) and rookies Andreas Drbal (Belmont, Calif.) and Nic Taylor (Hayward, Calif.).
The skeleton national team will be named following the final selection race on Nov. 1. The World Cup tour kicks off in Lake Placid, N.Y. from Nov. 8-10.
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, Vivat!, Global Forwarding, KBC Helmets, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Autism Speaks, Park City Lodging, EDAS/Ripxx, UberSense, Tesa Tape and Ferris Mfg. Corp. For more information, please visit the USBSF website at http://bobsled.teamusa.org.
