Listen
The four-man bobsled competition at the Winter Olympics this weekend offers the last realistic chance for a Pacific Northwest athlete to bring home a medal. None of the 12 Northwest Olympians in South Korea has stood on the podium so far in these Winter Games.
The Northwest's last hope for a medal from PyeongChang are now riding on Sam Michener and his mates in the USA's No. 2 bobsled. Other expected medal contenders from the Northwest in speedskating and skiing came up short.
Michener is a former University of Idaho track and field standout who tried out for the U.S. bobsled team kind of on a lark in 2012, and then took to it. The 30-year-old from Gresham, Oregon, expects this, his first Olympics, will also be his last.
Michener said he gets violently jostled in the back of the four-man sled.
"As a brakeman, I would say the average age is probably 32 or 33 when guys hang it up and they move on,” Michener said. “Pilots can go a little longer. We've had pilots as old as 36 or 37 years old. Of course, it's less physically demanding for them so they are able to stay in the sport a little bit longer."
Copyright 2018 Northwest News Network
Related Stories:
Northwest Raised And Trained, But Competing Under Foreign Flags At Olympics
If you’ve been watching the Winter Olympics, you may have noticed athletes native to one country competing for a different country’s team. In fact, there are three Northwest-raised and trained Olympians who are competing under foreign flags. Continue Reading Northwest Raised And Trained, But Competing Under Foreign Flags At Olympics Read More » Tom Banse February 20, 2018
Not Just For Olympians: Luge Sledding Comes To The Northwest
Now that the Winter Olympics have you pumped about snow sports, you might head into the hills for some real, live athletic feats. Conveniently, a ski area in north central Washington state has set up a luge sledding course. Continue Reading Not Just For Olympians: Luge Sledding Comes To The Northwest Read More » Tom Banse February 16, 2018
Not Just For Olympians: Northwest’s Ski Jumping Heritage Alive In Leavenworth
If you’re looking for an adrenaline-packed event to watch on TV during this year’s Winter Games, you’ll almost certainly be drawn to ski jumping. It’s a sport where the competitors speed down a ramp at nearly 60 mph before soaring hundreds of feet through the air. Continue Reading Not Just For Olympians: Northwest’s Ski Jumping Heritage Alive In Leavenworth Read More » Tom Banse February 14, 2018