LAKE PLACID - Just hours after Steve Holcomb captured the two-man bobsled World Championship title, he helped the U.S. earn the team competition crown to cap a successful weekend of medal performances.
"Two World Championship titles in one day is pretty great," Holcomb said. "Competing in the team event is always fun, so it's really awesome to be up here with my teammates."
Athletes in women's and men's skeleton and women's and men's two-man bobsled took one run each for a four-run combined time in the team event. The nation with the lowest combined time was then declared the winner.
Matt Antoine and Katie Uhlaender took the medal-winning runs in the skeleton heats. World Championship bronze medalist Elana Meyers teamed with Emily Azevedo for the women's bobsled run, while Holcomb partnered with Justin Olsen to secure gold for the U.S. in the final heat.
"It's not often that we get to slide with the skeleton athletes, so it's fun to compete with your teammates," Azevedo said. "It was great getting back in the sled today and sliding with Elana."
The team was victorious by a huge margin of 0.73 seconds after posting a combined time of 3:44.98. Germany posted a total time of 3:45.71 to claim the silver medal, while Canada was third with a four-run combined time of 3:46.28.
The second U.S. team of John Daly, Jazmine Fenlator, Ingrid Marcum, Annie O'Shea, Nick Cunningham and Dallas Robinson finished just 0.20 seconds from the medals in fourth position with a combined time of 3:46.48.