Germany swept the bobsled gold medals in Torino and the reigning Olympic champions are back to defend their titles. But both had sub-par 2008-09 seasons, at least by their superior standards. In Vancouver, they'll have to hold off a surging American contingent as well as the Canadians, who will benefit from additional home-track training runs. Here is a look at a few of the bobsled storylines to watch in 2010.
Lange mining for more
Germany's Andre Lange, who has won two straight Olympic gold medals in four-man, is also the defending champion in two-man. In Torino, he became just the fifth driver ever to win two-man and four-man gold at the same Games and the third athlete (second driver) to win three career bobsled gold medals. In 2008, he won the overall World Cup crown for the fourth time and claimed both the two- and four-man world titles. Last season was more challenging - Lange struggled with injuries to his crew and equipment problems - but he still managed a silver medal showing in four-man at the 2009 World Championships. Lange now has 17 career world and Olympic medals, one more than Italian bobsled legend Eugenio Monti.
Kiriasis tries for two
The Salt Lake silver medalist, Sandra Kiriasisentered the Torino Games as the runaway gold medal favorite and did not disappoint. Last season was not Kiriasis's best. She not only failed to win the world title for the first time since 2004; she finished a distant seventh. And at the Whistler World Cup on the Olympic track, she was fifth. Despite the off year, Kiriasis still won the overall World Cup title for the seventh straight season. And another German, Cathleen Martini, was the runner up for the second straight year.
Holcomb's sights set on gold
The U.S. men were shut out of the medals in Torino, but Steve Holcombhas since solidly established his place among the world's top drivers. He claimed the overall World Cup title in 2006-07 and at the 2009 World Championships, the Park City native drove his four-man "Night Train" sled to the first world title for the American men in half a century, beating Andre Lange by nearly a second. That win came one year after a degenerative eye condition left Holcomb legally blind and on the brink of retiring from the sport. He had collamer lenses inserted behind each iris, an experimental procedure that improved his vision from 20-500 to 20-20 in about 10 minutes, and his career was back on track.
Rohbock going for upgrade
The silver won by Shauna Rohbockand Valerie Fleming was the only U.S. sliding sports medal in Torino. Since then Rohbock has remained one of the world's top drivers. At 2009 Worlds she claimed silver, though she thought it should have been gold: Rohbock disagreed with the coaches' decision to leave Fleming out of her sled in favor of Elana Meyers. Rohbock won the Whistler World Cup on the Olympic track, also with Meyers, but still she's hesitant to call herself the favorite for Vancouver gold. "Helen Upperton, the Canadian driver, she was at 60 percent. She had torn cartilage in her ribs.... And Sandra Kiriasis had a little spat with her brakeman before and ended up not racing with her. Those two will definitely be contenders and I told them, I'm not fooled by them... Going into the Games it will be tough with those two back to a hundred percent."
Canada counting on medals
Helen Upperton, who missed the medals by five-hundredths of a second in her Olympic debut in Torino, is eager to put those near-miss memories behind her. Last January, she was leading the World Cup standings when she slipped jumping into her sled and detached two ribs from the cartilage. The former University of Texas triple jumper continued to race, but was not at her best - she finished fourth at both the Whistler World Cup and the World Championships. At Worlds, she need more than 15 freezing injections over the course of three days. A fully recovered Upperton should win Canada's first Olympic medal in women's bobsled. Kaillie Humphries, who used to be a brakeman in Upperton's sled, also has medal potential for the home team - she finished second at the Whistler World Cup. Two-time Olympic medalist Pierre Luedersreturns for his fifth Games and at age 39, remains a podium threat. At the Whistler World Cup, he drove to a third-place finish in two-man and finished fourth in four-man.
Found on Facebook
Looking to expand the British bobsled program, Nicola Minichiello turned to modern means: Facebook. The two-time Olympian and former heptathlete sent friend requests to athlete acquaintances in track and field and rugby. Gillian Cooke, who had been a pole vaulter and long jumper, accepted and a few weeks later, received a message asking if she wanted a shot at being Minichiello's brakeman. By August 2008, she was testing out her abilities on a push track. And six months later, the duo was celebrating Great Britain's first world title in 44 years. Minichiello will look capitalize on her world championship momentum in Vancouver, something she was unable to accomplish last time around. Minichiello had a strong showing at the previous pre-Olympic World Championships, finishing second in 2005, but ended up ninth in Torino.
