Elana Meyers Taylor, Sylvia Hoffman Sit In Third Heading Into Two-Woman Bobsled Finals

Kaillie Humphries and Kaysha Love of Team United States slide during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 on Feb. 18, 2022 in Yanqing, China.

Going into the second heat of the two-woman event, Meyers Taylor and Hoffman were sitting in third — just ahead of Team USA’s other sled, piloted by Humphries, 36, and Kaysha Love as brakewoman. Germany was holding the top two spots with both of their team sleds.

At the end of the day, the two German pilots didn’t relinquish the top spots, pushing Humphries down to fifth (with a combined time of 2:03.38), behind her former teammate, Canada’s Christine de Bruin (2:03.21), who took Olympic bronze in monobob earlier in the week.

“There’s definitely a lot more in the tank from the driving side,” the recent U.S. citizen said, who was competing for Team Canada until 2019. “I’m happy with how we started. Kaysha did an amazing job today. We’ll look again at equipment, look to clean up our drives, and see what happens.”

The U.S., Canada and Germany are known for dominating this event, with Germany grabbing gold at the last Winter Games in PyeongChang. But in 2018, the German on top was Mariama Jamanka, 31, who is currently sitting in second place. Her teammate, and first-time Olympian, Laura Nolte, sits in first, setting a new track record and a time of 1:01.01 at the end of her second run. 

Nolte, the youngest among the group of veterans at 23, was shut out from a medal in monobob after finishing in fourth.

History has shown that a lot can happen from one heat to the next — and Meyers Taylor has seen it firsthand. 

“I know it’s a whole new day tomorrow. Kaillie has come from behind before to win a medal, Christine [de Bruin] is a great competitor, and we’ve still got to go after the Germans. I’ve got to figure it out and take out both teams,” she said.

Ideally, she’d love to top the podium to earn her first gold medal. With three silvers and a bronze, it would mean more knowing she achieved it at her first Winter Games as a mom. 

Almost two years ago, Meyers Taylor gave birth to her son, Nico, with fellow U. S. bobsledder Nic Taylor, who is currently in Beijing as an alternate on the men's side.

Beijing marks a first for Humphries, too, as these are her first Games competing for the U.S. The newly minted monobob champion had previously been sliding for Team Canada, winning two golds and a bronze for her former home country in this event. 

And with a top-three spot after her first run, the most decorated woman in bobsled history knows she has what it takes to get on that numbered box. 

But this time, she’ll be wearing one extra color when she does it.

The final two heats will take place on Saturday and will be the final event for women’s bobsleigh in Beijing. The men are still to compete in the four-man, an event the women were hoping to have added at these Winter Games. However, with the addition of the monobob, currently a women's only event, this Games marks the first time male and female bobsledders have an equal chance at a medal.