Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Top Moment of the Day – 14 February: Kaillie Humphries scorches to historic gold in monobob's Olympic debut
Humphries led home USA teammate and fellow bobsleigh equality advocate Elana Meyers Taylor as experience conquers youth in the inaugural Olympic monobob competition at Beijing 2022.
Bobsleigh
There is action every day at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 but we’ll select for you the best one at the end of the competitions, when Beijing is closing its doors. Today: Team USA clinch gold and silver in the first-ever women’s Olympic monobob competition.
Kaillie Humphries leads the United States to 1-2 podium finish on monobob's Olympic debut
When Kaillie Humphries crossed the finish line for the fourth time at the National Sliding Centre in Yanqing to claim the inaugural monobob title on Monday (14 February), the 36-year-old could not hide her delight.
Standing up in the still-moving one-person sled, she stretched her arms out wide as if to take in the magnitude of her achievement, and the obstacles she defied to get there.
In a display of complete dominance Humphries finished her four runs in a combined time of 4:19.27 to win by 1.54 seconds – the widest victory margin in any bobsleigh event in 42 years.
It is the pilot’s third Olympic gold in her career but her first for the United States after made switching from Team Canada in 2019.
There were doubts Humphries would even make it to the Games as she waited for her new passport to arrive. But fortunately, it arrived in the nick of time.
Humphries’ win for her newly adopted country was made that bit sweeter as she was joined on the podium by compatriot Elana Meyers Taylor with Canada’s Christine de Bruin taking bronze.
The pair have long advocated for greater representation for women in Olympic bobsleigh events, culminating in the inclusion of the monobob – an exclusively female-only event – in the Olympic programme.
"I'm elated, I'm happy, I'm relieved, I'm proud," shared Humphries to Olympics.com after claiming a slice of history.
"This gold medal feels more emotional (than my previous two). This one was filled with a lot more uncertainty. We had to fight for the event in the first place, and then I had to fight for my place on Team USA, which is such a strong nation.
"There were a lot of tears and a lot of uncertainty but we pushed through it. It definitely will always hold a very special place in my heart. The first monobob gold for the USA."
It was a similarly emotional day for Meyers Taylor, who until just two days ago, did not know if she would be competing following her positive Covid-19 test upon arrival in China.
“I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, I wanted to laugh. All the emotions just came out,” shared Meyers Taylor after clinching her fourth Olympic medal.
“It feels more than gold. I’m absolutely over the moon with this medal.”
The 37-year-old becomes the oldest woman to win an Olympic bobsleigh medal and the mother-of-one, who has openly spoken about the challenges of breastfeeding a child whilst competing, dedicated her accomplishment in part to her young son Nico who has Down's Syndrome.
She added: "I dedicate this medal to my mum and son. My mum showed me the way and showed me what a strong woman looks like, and my son shows me every single day when he gets up how to overcome obstacles and fight through things.
“At the end of the day I get to hang this (medal) around my neck, but he doesn’t know what it means and is just going to want to play, and it’s just the most incredible thing.”