Elana Meyers Taylor (L) and Lake Kwaza (R) pose for a photo after winning bronze at the IBSF World Cup on Jan. 5, 2019 in Altenberg, Germany.
Three-time Olympic medalist Elana Meyers Taylor and new brakewoman Lake Kwaza came up with their second world cup medal Saturday in Altenberg, Germany.
Pilot Taylor and rookie Kwaza came into their second run in fourth place after a close-fought first round in which the top six were separated by a mere 0.15 seconds.
On their second attempt, they shaved more than half a second off their first run, finishing in 58.51 seconds. The third best time of the heat was also good enough to move them into bronze medal position, which they won for their combined time of 1 minute, 57.64 seconds, 0.39 seconds behind Olympic champions Mariama Jamanka and Annika Drazek of Germany.
Canadians Christine de Bruin and Kristen Bujnowski took silver, their first world cup medal, 0.31 seconds behind the Germans. Americans Brittany Reinbolt and Jessica Davis finished in 11th place.
It’s the second world cup medal for Meyers Taylor, who owns a silver medal from the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, and Kwaza, who is in her first world cup season. The duo earned bronze at the world cup in Winterberg, Germany, on Dec. 15.
Blythe Lawrence is a journalist based in Seattle. She has covered two Olympic Games and is a freelance contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.
