Jamie Greubl of the U.S. holds up her hands as she finishes first in the women’s bobsleigh race in the 2016-2017 BMW IBSF World Cup, at the Alpensia Sliding Center in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province, on March 18.
“I’m confident about next year’s PyeongChang Olympic Games.”
The U.S. female bobsleigh team has proven strong in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province, one of the host cities for the 2018 PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, just under one year away.
In the women’s bobsleigh race in the 2016-2017 BMW International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Cup, held at the Alpensia Sliding Center, the U.S. pairs of Jamie Greubl and Aja Evans, and of Elana Meyers and Lolo Jones, clinched the gold and silver medals, respectively, clarifying that the U.S. is definitely a powerhouse in the world when it comes to bobsled.
The gold medalists clocked in at 1:43.65 after two runs -- 51.79 in the first run and 51.86 in the second run -- edging out the runner-up team 0.15 seconds and the Canadian pair of Alysia Riaaling and Cynthia Appiah by 0.41 seconds.
Jamie Greubl and Aja Evans of the U.S. race down the track in the women’s bobsleigh competition in the 2016-2017 BMW IBSF World Cup, at the Alpensia Sliding Center in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province, on March 18.
Kim Yoo-ran and Kim Min-seong of Korea speed down the track in the women’s bobsleigh competition in the 2016-2017 BMW IBSF World Cup, at the Alpensia Sliding Center in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province, on March 18.
Aja Evans, the brakewoman on the champion U.S. champion that finished in first place in the 2016-2017 season, said after winning the race that, “It’s an amazing feeling, honestly. It feels so good to race on the future Olympic track and to know that we can win on the future Olympic track.”
As for the track itself, the U.S. racer said, “This is a very challenging track and I think that our team has worked well on the challenges. There’s so much more room for improvement. We’ll prepare enough until we come back here next year. We will be really big. I’m sure.”
The silver medalist, Elana Meyers, who finished the season in second place in the world, said, “Today’s a tough race. I didn’t drive as well as I wanted to and I’m a little disappointed. However, that just keeps me going for next year’s PyeongChang Olympic Games. I’m coming back to practice on this track and I’m going to fight to the very end to win a gold medal next year.”
Asked if it was challenging for her to pass through curves No. 9 and 12, which many athletes have found the most difficult, she said, “I did pretty well on the two curves today. My nemesis was curve No. 2. I hit pretty hard in the second run and drained all my time. When I come back, I’m not going to make the same mistake again.”
The German team speeds down the track in the women’s bobsleigh competition in the 2016-2017 BMW IBSF World Cup, at the Alpensia Sliding Center in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province, on March 18.
Two Korean bobsleigh teams remained in the lower ranks. Kim Yoo-ran and Kim Min-seong finished in 18th place among 20 finalists, while Lee Seon-hye and Shin Mi-ran came in last.
“I think I felt more nervous than ever before,” said pilot Kim Yoo-ran. “The track has many challenges and I should’ve practiced more to master them. I’ve learned a lot in today’s race, though,” she said. "During the run-up to the PyeongChang Olympic Games, I will work hard to finish in the top three next year. That’s my goal.”
By Kim Young-ah, Kang Gahui, Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writers
Photos: Jeon Han Korea.net Photographer
Kimya124@korea.kr
First to sixth place in the women’s bobsleigh race in the 2016-2017 BMW IBSF World Cup pose for a commemorative photo during the awards ceremony at the Alpensia Sliding Center in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province, on March 18.
Korean bobsledders Kim Min-seong (left) and Kim Yoo-ran look at the screen in surprise as they see the results of the Japanese team in the women’s bobsleigh race in the 2016-2017 BMW IBSF World Cup, at the Alpensia Sliding Center in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province, on March 18.