Elana Meyers Taylor (left) and Kaillie Humphries (right) celebrate their medals in St. Moritz

ST MORITZ, Switzerland (January 15, 2022) – Kaillie Humphries (Carlsbad, Calif.) and Elana Meyers Taylor (Douglasville, Ga.) finished out the women’s monobob World Cup series on top by finishing 1-2, respectively, in St. Moritz this morning. The Americans finished 0.04 seconds from one another, and Meyers Taylor secured the overall women’s monobob title with her silver medal performance today. 

“That was a close one,” Humphries said. “My runs weren’t without flaws, especially the second run, but overall I’m super happy I got to race here today. This is an amazing track, and it feels so nice when you do it right.”

Humphries powered the Omaze branded sled off the block in 5.92 seconds for the fourth fastest start time of the first heat, and crossed the finish line with the fastest downtime of 1:11.28. Meyers Taylor was on her teammate’s heels. She powered off the block with the fastest start time of 5.80 seconds, and was 0.15 seconds behind Humphries with a run of 1:11.43. 

Meyers Taylor matched her start time in the second heat, again powering off the block in 5.80 seconds. She expertly piloted her sled to the finish in 1:10.88 to set a new track record and secure a spot on the medal stand.

“My last run felt really good,” Meyers Taylor said. “I made up a lot of ground in that second run, and four hundredths is really close. Any day you came away with a medal is a good day.”

Humphries responded with a 5.89 push time, and maintained a slim lead of 0.04 seconds with a run of 1:10.99. Humprhies took gold with a combined time of 2:22.27, followed by Meyers Taylor in second with a two-run total of 2:22.31. Canada’s Cynthia Appiah claimed the bronze medal with a cumulative time of 2:23.22. 

“This track gets really slick,” Humphries said. “Surprise, surprise, we’re on ice, but it’s an all-natural track and the lines get smoothed out and it gets really slick. I had a different game plan for the first run than I did for the second run because of this, and while my second run wasn’t what I’d hoped, I’m still really happy with my drives and feel good about my win.”

Meyers Taylor claimed the overall title with 1110 points, followed by Humphries in second place with 1052 points. Appiah tallied 1012 points to round out her season in third.

While Humphries and Meyers Taylor are pleased with their medal finishes today, both athletes are already looking ahead to tomorrow’s two-woman bobsled race, and ultimately to the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

“We still have a month until the games and a lot can happen,” Humphries said. “Covid is very real, and it feels like we’re all dodging landmines. You’re trying to make the team, perform, make it to the Olympics, and I was worried about getting my citizenship in time; the season has been full of challenges. But I just continue to believe in myself and take it one day at a time.”

“I wasn’t focused on the overall title at all, I was just trying to work every week on getting better and better,” Meyers Taylor said. “I know I have a much bigger battle ahead. Beijing is unlike any track on tour, and it’s going to be a tough challenge. It’s not going to be easy to walk away with the victory.”

Racing continues today with the two-man bobsled competition at 1 p.m. local time. Streaming will be available via desktop at olympics.com/en/live/, and via mobile, tablet and connected television platforms on the Olympic Channel app. Check local listings for broadcast times on the Olympic Channel and OlympicChannel.com.

For media inquiries, please contact USABS Marketing and Communications Director Amanda Bird at amanda.bird@usabs.com.

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Results

1. Kaillie Humphries (USA) 2:22.27 (1:11.28, 1:10.99);

2. Elana Meyers Taylor (USA) 2:22.31 (1:11.43, 1:10.88);

3. Cynthia Appiah (CAN) 2:23.22 (1:11.64, 1:11.58);

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.