Elana Meyers Taylor (L) and Lauren Gibbs celebrate taking third place in women's bobsled at the IBSF World Championships at Olympiabobbahn Igls on Feb. 13, 2016 in Igls, Austria.
Rebounding from a concussion that almost derailed her career, bobsled pilot Elana Meyers Taylor earned her fifth career world championship medal alongside brakeman Lauren Gibbs. The pair earned bronze while Jamie Greubel Poser and Cherrelle Garrett took fifth, and Katie Eberling and Kehri Jones placed eighth in Igls, Austria.
“It’s kind of overwhelming,” Meyers Taylor told USA Bobsled & Skeleton. “I didn’t even know if I’d be here when I was sent home in December for rehabilitation, so to not only be here, but to walk away with a medal…I can’t even put into words how amazing it feels right now. It’s been a fight from start to finish this season.”
Last season, Meyers Taylor paired with Garrett to win the first bobsled world title by a U.S. women's team. But after suffering from concussion symptoms caused by a crash earlier that season, Meyers Taylor found herself unable to compete and missed four world cups. Upon her return, she paired with Gibbs to win last week's world cup event in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
At the world championships, Meyers Taylor and Gibbs were in the medal hunt from the beginning, posting the second fastest start times on the first day of competition to put themselves solidly in third place. On the second day, they put up the fastest time of the final run but came up just short of silver.
“A lot of sweat and tears went into this medal,” Meyers Taylor said. “Lauren did a great job. The coaches, teammates, staff… it’s been a team effort to get me to this race, and it just makes it taste all the sweeter to be here.”
Greubel Poser, who has medaled in six of seven world cups so far this season, matched her career-best world championship finish - fifth - which she also earned last season with Gibbs. Eberling, meanwhile, has earned two world medals, both as a brakewoman for Meyers Taylor. Her eighth-place finish in Igls marked her world cup debut as a pilot.
