×

USABS announces national team for Bobsled and Skeleton

At left, Lolo Jones and Elana Meyers Taylor prepare to push off at the National Combination Push Championships at the indoor ice facility at Mount Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid on Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Parker O’Brien)

LAKE PLACID — USA Bobsled and Skeleton announced its nine-athlete roster for the 2021-2022 women’s national bobsled team on Monday. The roster includes Kaillie Humphries, who has not yet gotten a U.S. passport.

The USA Bobsled team held its final Push Championship of the season at Mount Van Hoevenberg on Saturday and Sunday before the national team was announced.The athletes had previously competed in the national push championships on July 30 and 31 before completing the event this past weekend to earn their spot on the team.

USA Bobsled/Skeleton CEO Aron McGuire said that the two push championships helped the selection committee to select the pool of athletes to go over to Europe and represent the team at the World Cup. He said that after the World Cup, all the results from the season will go into the selection of the Olympic team in January.

Lolo Jones, Aja Evans, Lauren Gibbs, Sylvia Hoffman, Lake Kwaza, and Kaysha Love were named in the pool of women’s push athletes on Monday.

Humphries, Elana Meyers Taylor and Brittany Reinbolt, were the three women selected as the U.S. pilots for the women’s team.

Jones, who did not compete in the push championships on July 30 and 31, was cleared to participate in the combination push championships this past weekend.

She said she felt really good considering she had an adductor strain four weeks ago and had not been able to train much at all. She thinks it’s incredible because the team didn’t expect that she would be cleared to even sprint at this time. Not only was she sprinting, she was pushing as well.

USA Bobsled Team

Jones said she was excited about the selection of the national team, which took place on Monday.

“Anytime you can represent Team USA is a great honor and it’s gonna be a great year to battle,” Jones said prior to the national team selection. “Everyone’s goal is obviously the Olympics.”

Humphries was among those who did not participate in the combination push championships, due to an injury. Humphries, who is currently in the midst of a battle for American citizenship, was in attendance to cheer on her fellow American teammates.

Three-time Olympic medalist Humphries had already earned a spot onto the women’s team as a pilot, as she won the two-woman and monobob World Championship titles last season, according to USABS.

The men’s bobsled team earned two quota spots on the World Cup tour. Hunter Church will be the pilot for USA-1 and Codie Bascue will pilot USA-2, according to USABS.

The eight men selected as push athletes included Hakeem Abdul-Saboor, Kris Horn, Blaine McConnell, Jimmy Reed, Nic Taylor, Carlo Valdes, Charlie Volker and Josh Williamson.

For the national team, the season will kick off with a test event on the 2022 Olympic track in Beijing next month.

USA Skeleton Team

USABS also named the national team for skeleton.

Katie Uhlaender, Megan Henry and Kelly Curtis earned the three spots on the World Cup tour for the women’s skeleton team.

The three women who were chosen to represent the U.S. in the Intercontinental Cup tour will be Kendall Wesenberg, Savannah Graybill and Sara Roderick.

For the men, Austin Florian and John Daly earned the two quota spots for the World Cup. While Andrew Blaser, Dan Barefoot and Stephen Garbett were chosen for the Intercontinental Cup tour.

The USA Skeleton Push Championships will take place on Sept. 29 and 30 in Lake Placid before heading to Europe for double World Cups and other competitions prior to the 2022 Winter Olympics.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.75/week.

Subscribe Today