WOMEN'S 2-MAN BOBSLED WORLD CUP RESULTS!

First Place for USA's Shauna Rohbock & Michelle Rzepka
(Photo: Reuters)

USA Women's Bobsled Team in Cesana
L-R: Michelle Rzepka, Elana Meyers. Erin Pac,
Bree Schaaf, Emily Azevedo and Shauna Rohbock
(Photo: Charlie Booker)

For those of you who may have missed it, I have exciting news to share. The United States Women's Bobsled Team claimed victory and was absolutely awesome Saturday night in Cesana, Italy. They are well on their way to qualifying three sleds in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games after Americans Shauna Rohbock and Michelle Rzepka of the USA won the women's two-man bobsled World Cup race. In a finish that inspires all of us with dreams, Rohbock ended a four-year string of runner-up finishes with her victory in the FIBT Intersport World Cup women’s bobsleigh race held on the 2006 Olympic track. Rohbock has been second in three previous races on the Cesana track , including an Olympic silver medal in the 2006 Winter Games. “It only took me four years to finally get it,” said Rohbock. “Beating the Germans by this much just doesn’t happen, so it definitely feels good.” As a footnote to this jubilant comment, the Germans are very tough competitors and our girls turned in stunning performances!

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Rohbock, using Michelle Rzepka on the brakes, posted the fastest times of 21 sleds registered n both heats: 57.96 and 58.13 for a 1:56.09 total that was .34 seconds better than Cathleen Martini and Romy Logsch of Germany. Martini, who has won the first two races of the season, had runs of 58.10 and 58.33. Sandra Kiriasis and Berit Wiacker gave Germany the bronze medal with 58.03 and 58.42 clocking for a 1:56.45. Rohbock and Rzepka gave the sled momentum at the start, pushing times of 5.22 and 5.21 seconds, respectively.

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Erin Pac and push athlete Elana Meyers finished fifth with a two-run total of 1:56.58. Pac and Meyers teamed up for a first run push time of 5.17 seconds for a run of 58.23 seconds, placing the duo in seventh. Their second start time of 5.19 seconds for a run of 58.35 seconds led them to move up two positions into fifth place.

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Bree Schaaf and push athlete Emily Azevedo (see my previous Blog posts) finished with a two-run total of 1:56:70. Schaaf and Azevedo teamed up for a first run push time of 5.30 for a run of 58.27 seconds. Their second start time of 5.29 seconds for a run of 58.43 seconds led them to a two-run total of 1:56.70 placing the duo in sixth place. Interestingly, Schaaf previously competed on the Cesana track as a World Cup skeleton athlete, but drove the course in a bobsled for the first time this week. These girls worked phenomenally hard in the months preceding this event, and it really paid off!

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“I am really proud of the team,” said U.S. head coach Sepp Plozza. “Shauna’s win was great and we were hoping she could do it today. Erin and Bree continue to prove they are in the mix with the best drivers in the world, and we are in a good position going into next week.”

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AWESOME PERFORMANCE, GIRLS!

YOU INSPIRE OUR COUNTRY.

TEAM BOBSLED USA!!

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Results:

1. Shauna Rohbock and Michelle Rzepka (USA) 1:56.09 (57.96, 58.13); 2. Cathleen Martini and Romy Logsch (GER) 1:56.43 (58.10, 58.33); 3. Sandra Kiriasis and Berit Wiacker (GER) 1:56.45 (58.03, 58.42);...5. Erin Pac and Elana Meyers (USA) 1:56.58 (58.23, 58.35); 6. Bree Schaaf and Emily Azevedo (USA) 1:56.70 (58.27, 58.43).