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USABS wraps up sliding season

Team USA’s Kaillie Humphries, left, with push partner Kaysha Love, drives the two-women bobsled around curve four at the Mount Van Hoevenberg bobsled track in Lake Placid on Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Parker O’Brien)

It’s safe to say that this past sliding season was successful for many USA Bobsled and Skeleton athletes. In the World Cup competitions, USABS had 16 top-three finishes and 25 top-six finishes.

Kaillie Humphries, of Carlsbad, California, had a dominating season, finishing first overall in the IBSF rankings in women’s monobob. Humphries also earned her 100th career top-three finish in a major international bobsled competition this past season.

“Some of our top athletes took time off this year making way for newer athletes to join the National team and others to transition from brakemen to pilots,” Team USA Bobsled head coach Brian Shimer said in a statement. “The start of training brought many challenges as we were down to two veteran pilots from the games, but the new pilots were dedicated and determined to be competitive, making our World Cup and NAC tours successful, rounding out with the overall World Cup and North Americans Cup titles, numerous World Cup and NAC podium finishes, challenging World Cup debuts on some of the hardest tracks, and a consistent stream of personal bests.

“We couldn’t have asked any more of our team and coaching staff who pulled together to continue to represent Team USA as a solid world competitor in the sport of bobsled,” he added. “As the long season comes to an end the athletes will take advantage of some much-needed recovery time while coaches and staff reflect on how we can learn from this past season’s successes and failures as our preparation for next year begins.”

During the World Championships and Para Sport World Championships, the team earned three top-six medals. The World Push Championships won 12 top-six medals for the U.S.

In the Para Bobsled competitions, the U.S. had 11 top-six finishes. In the North American Cup, the team had a staggering 69 top-six finishes. In the European Cup, there were 12 top-six finishes. In the Intercontinental Cup competitions, the U.S. has seven top-six finishes.

Team USA’s skeleton head coach Matt Antoine said there was a lot of positive progress through the team this season.

“Many personal bests, and some first-time World Cup medals,” he said. “We also saw where there is a lot of opportunity for growth going forward. We’ll look to continue to build upon this season as we head through the quad, towards 2026.”

“The year after the Olympic Games, you never really know who will be returning and who is considering retirement,” USABS CEO Aron McGuire said. “This season, the team not only performed well at the top level, winning several World Championships medals, but we made significant progress in gaining experience in North American and Europe Cup competitions. After we debrief from the year, we will turn our focus to the next season. The 2026 Winter Olympic Games is around the corner and we still have much to achieve.”

USABS’ accomplishments extended off the ice, as well. In March, “Citizen Athlete,” a documentary-style film following Humphries, Aja Evans, Elana Meyers Taylor and many other members of the US Women’s National Bobsled Team on their journey to the 2022 Olympic Games, won Best Action Sports Film at the Mammoth Film Festival.

Next on the schedule for USABS is the annual fantasy team camp in June.

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