Before bobsled competitors can realize their Olympic ambitions of competing in the 2006 Games in Torino, Italy, they must first qualify in a series of international competitions.
The second of these five two-man competitions begins Monday and Tuesday at the Utah Olympic Park near Park City. The America's Cup races, which begin at 3 p.m., conclude Dec. 11 with four-man, women's bobsled and skeleton competitions.
The Park City track is one of two in the United States.
"It's wide open," Tom LaDue of the United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation said. "The track is fast, faster than in Lake Placid, which is more technical."
In the end, the race on the 1,300-meter track boils down to a fast push and a steady driver.
"The America's Cup is a feeder system to the World Cup," LaDue said. "Some countries are using this just to qualify for the Olympic qualifiers."
More than 17 countries are expected to compete Monday and Tuesday, including non-winter loving countries such as Mexico, Israel, Brazil and, of course, Jamaica.
"Top international and national bobsled athletes are expected to compete at this event," said Bulent Bulut, Utah Olympic Park sport services manager. "These athletes are getting ready for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games."
On Nov. 26 in Calgary, in race two of the America's Cup two-man bobsled race, the Jamaican bobsled team won the gold medal. Winston Watts and Wayne Blackwood from Jamaica had runs of 56.13 and 56.26 for a combined time of 1:52.39.
The top American team of Joe McDonald and Hoy Thurman finished fourth.
Finishing in second, .20 seconds behind the Jamaicans were the Canadian team of Rich Christensen and Chris Le Bihan, which had runs of 56.13 and 56.46 for a combined time of 1:52.59.
Slovakia's Jiri Dzmura and Pavel Polomsky took the bronze with runs of 56.23 and 56.50 for a combined time of 1:52.73.
Among the other American teams expected to compete are John Napier and Jesse Beckom III; Grayson Fertig and Lorenzo Hill; Matt Anderson and Peter Blumert; Michael Bradley and John Caponio; and Lars Peterson and Don Cole.
"The America's Cup is a feeder system to the World Cup. Some countries are using this just to qualify for the Olympic qualifiers."
TOM LADUE
United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation
