USA Skeleton National Team announced for 2021-2022 season

Lake Placid, N.Y. (September 6, 2021) – Eleven athletes were named to the USA Skeleton National Team for the 2021-2022 season this morning. Team selection races were held in Park City, Utah and Lake Placid, N.Y. last spring to rank athletes going into this season. Selection races are traditionally held in the fall of each season, but they were moved up when the Beijing Olympic test event was canceled and rescheduled for October 2021.

The women’s team earned three quota spots on the World Cup tour. Four-time Olympian Katie Uhlaender (Breckenridge, Colo.) enters the season as the top ranked American, followed by Megan Henry (Roxbury, Conn.) and Kelly Curtis (Princeton, N.J.). 

The men earned two World Cup quota spots. Austin Florian (Southington, Conn.) will lead the men as the top ranked American, and he will be joined by three-time Olympian John Daly (Smithtown, N.Y.).

Three women and three men have been selected to compete on the Intercontinental Cup tour for USA Skeleton. Kendall Wesenberg (Modesto, Calif.), Savannah Graybill (Denver, Pa.) and Sara Roderick (Truro, Mass.) will race for the women, while Andrew Blaser (Meridian, Idaho), Dan Barefoot (Johnstown, Pa.) and Stephen Garbett (Parker, Colo.) will compete in the men’s field.

“We have a really strong team heading into the Olympic season,” said USA Skeleton Head Coach Tuffield Latour. “This season won’t be without its challenges, but the past year has proven how resilient these athletes are. Without any World Cup races in North America, we’re going to need to have a plan, but we’re also going to need to be flexible. We’ve got the right athletes to maintain a positive environment, while also focusing on results.”

The Beijing test event will take place from October 5-27. Athletes will then compete in double World Cup races in Igls, Austria from November 14-28 before moving to Germany for competitions in Altenberg and Winterberg from November 28- December 12. The race scheduled for Koenigssee, Germany was canceled due to devastating flood damage to the track this summer, so athletes will compete in Altenberg a second time from December 12-19. While some athletes may choose to return home for the holiday break, most will stay in Europe to prepare for the Sigulda, Latvia World Cup that begins on December 26. The tour doubles back to Winterberg from January 2-9, before concluding in St. Moritz, Switzerland from January 9-16. The final stop of the season will be the Beijing Olympics in February. 

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.