Elana Meyers Taylor is in position for redemption. But it won’t be easy — she’ll be chasing a German sled for gold. After winning silver in Sochi, her sled, with brakeman Lauren Gibbs, is in second again after Runs 1 and 2 of the women’s bobsled. They’re only 0.07 seconds back of the German sled piloted by Mariama Jamanka with two runs remaining.
Jamanka’s sled leads with a time of 1:41.26. The Meyers Taylor sled is second in 1:41.33 and the German sled piloted by Stephanie Schneider is in third, 0.3 seconds back of the lead.
Pilot Jamie Greubel Poser’s sled finished Runs 1 and 2 in fourth place, 0.02 out of medal position.
The event will conclude with second day of women’s bobsled competition on Wednesday. You can live stream the event at 6:40 a.m. ET.
The two-time defending champion Kallie Humphries, who has Summer Olympian Phylicia George in her sled, struggled to find the perfect line in her first run, finishing 0.2 seconds behind Meyers Taylor in fifth place after the first run. The Canadian sled stayed in fifth after the second run, but they gained time on the sleds chasing for a medal, even if it won’t be gold — they are 0.34 seconds out of first but only 0.04 out of third with two runs remaining.
Elana Meyers Taylor set a start record on her first run, but had a rough go through the infamous ninth turn on the course. Even with two knocks against the wall coming out of the turn, Meyers Taylor regrouped and put together a course-record run of 50.52 seconds to take the lead after Run 1. She again set the course record in the second run, but her line was off throughout the run as she lost time throughout the course with wall bounces and skids. With Runs 3 and 4 remaining, Meyers Taylor has room for improvement and her shot at gold.
Team USA is looking for its first gold since Jill Bakken and Vonetta Flowers won gold in 2002, when the event made its Olympic debut.