Elana Meyers Taylor Breaks Track Record in Grabbing Third Monobob World Series Gold
by Bob Reinert
Elana Meyers Taylor poses for a picture after winning women's monobob competition on Nov. 27, 2021 in Innsbruck, Austria.
Elana Meyers Taylor of Team USA broke the track record on the way to claiming the gold medal Saturday in the women’s world cup monobob race in Winterberg, Germany.
It was the third win for Meyers Taylor, a three-time U.S. Olympic medalist in the two-woman bobsled, in four world cup events this season. Monobob will make its Olympic debut in February in Beijing.
Meyers Taylor won the first two events of the season before placing sixth last week in Altenberg, Germany. While she faltered a bit there, U.S. teammate Kaillie Humphries stepped up to take the gold medal as the Americans have swept the first four events.
Meyers Taylor immediately returned to form Saturday, setting a Winterberg start record of 5.78 seconds on her first run. Meyers Taylor crossed the finish line in second position in 58.95 seconds, just 0.06 seconds behind Breeana Walker of Australia. Walker had set the track record of 59.92 in a European Cup race, then broke it in her first run.
In her second run, Meyers Taylor matched her record start time and added the track record with a time of 58.88 seconds to post a combined time of 1:57.82 and edge Walker by 0.23 seconds. Cynthia Appiah of Canada was third in 1:58.24. Humphries was 13th in 1:58.96.
“It was a high-pressure situation and Elana came through,” USA Bobsled coach Mike Kohn said. “We get to hear the national anthem again tonight, and that never gets old.”
“I might be the only one, but I love this track,” Meyers Taylor said. “I’m super-excited to get this win. I went out and tried my best, and while there’s always something to improve, I feel really good about today.”
Meyers Taylor had her husband, national team member Nic Taylor, and son Nico at the award ceremony. Nico reached out to admire his mom’s new trophy while on the medal stand together.
“I want to show Nico that you can persevere through anything,” Meyers Taylor said. “It’s not about winning or losing — it’s about stepping to the start line and giving it everything I’ve got. If Nico knows nothing else about his mom, I want to know that I gave it everything I had any time I was on that line. I want him to go out there and chase any dream he has without fear.”