Another historic feat was recorded at the Cortina Sliding Center, as a 41-year-old American bobsled legend, Elana Meyers Taylor, finally clinched a gold after sixteen years of pursuit.
On Monday, February 16, the athlete pilot delivered a flawless final run in the women’s monobob to edge out Germany’s Laura Nolte by just 0.04 seconds.
Meyers Taylor entered the final heat in second place, trailing Nolte. However, a blistering last trip down the Cortina Sliding Centre track, combined with a few small mistakes by her German rival, sealed the victory.
After reaching the finish line, Meyers fell on her knees and became emotional. Reflecting on her achievement, she told reporters, “I thought it was impossible.”
The win is a historic milestone for the athlete as this gold is her sixth career Olympic medal which ties her with speedskater Bonnie Blair for the most Winter Olympic medals ever won by an American woman.
She admitted that, “to have my name up there with Bonnie Blair, it doesn’t even make sense to me.”
As the oldest American woman to win a Winter Olympic gold, she credits her success to her support system, stating:
“It means so much to the support staff around me, to my friends, my family, everyone behind me who has worked so hard to even get me to the starting line, let alone to win a gold medal. It has been incredible.”
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