Photo credit: Jimmy Reed

Athletes push off the block in the Ice House in preparation for combination push championships

 

Lake Placid, N.Y. (August 31, 2021) – USA Bobsled team selections continue this weekend with combination push championships from September 4-5 at the new state-of-the-art Ice House facility in Lake Placid. The combo championships is another opportunity for bobsled athletes to produce data for the selection committee to review before the USA Bobsled National Team is announced on Sept. 6.

“Push championships changed the trajectory of my career and quite frankly my life,” said Justin Olsen, USA Bobsled/Skeleton National Start Coach and 2010 Olympic gold medalist. “I went from being an unknown to a champion overnight. This competition is the quickest way to get noticed and open the door for more opportunities. All the hard work and energy spent training your mind and body gets showcased in a matter of five seconds. The question is who’s next?”

In the men’s competition, three athletes will be assigned to push together; one from the left side, one on the brakes, and one from the right side. In the women’s competition, an athlete will push from the brakes with a driver on the driver’s bar.

The schedule is as follows, with all times listed in EST:

 

Saturday, September 4

10 am: Men’s three-man combination push competition day one

12 pm: Women’s two-woman combination push competition day one

 

Sunday, September 5

10 am: Men’s three-man combination push competition day two

12 pm: Women’s two-woman combination push competition day two

 

The event will be broadcast LIVE on the USA Bobsled/Skeleton Facebook page.

 

“Our new push track at Mt. Van Hoevenberg allows athletes to train all year for one of the most critical components in the sport of bobsled- the start,” said ORDA President & CEO Mike Pratt.  “We are approaching the 90th Anniversary of the 1932 Winter Games, when Lake Placid became home to the first Olympic bobsled event in the United States. It’s an incredible history. With ORDA hosting USA Bobsled/Skeleton and their athletes in Lake Placid as the national team prepares for the next Olympic Winter Games, the tradition of excellence continues.” 

Media interested in attending the event should contact Elise Ruocco at eruocco@orda.org before Friday, September 3. Public viewing will be limited to the Mountain Pass Lodge. Social distancing and face coverings are required inside the lodge.

Please contact USABS Marketing & Communications Director Amanda Bird at 518-354-2250, or amanda.bird@usabs.com, for more information.

 

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About USA Bobsled & Skeleton

USA Bobsled & Skeleton (USABS), based in Lake Placid, N.Y., is the national

governing body for the sports of bobsled and skeleton in the United States. For

more information, please visit the USABS website at www.usabs.com. Individuals

interested in becoming a bobsled or skeleton athlete can visit www.usabobsledskeleton.com.