United States

Women's Bobsled: Americans in 2nd Place After 2 Heats

Americans Elana Meyers Taylor and Lauren Gibbs set a track record in their first heat but couldn't hold onto the lead in the second heat in the two-woman Olympic bobsled competition Tuesday. 

The U.S. goes into day two of the two-woman bobsled competition in second and fourth place, with Germany in first and third.

Meyers Taylor and Gibbs shot out onto the ice in track record time on both of their heats, but the duo of Mariama Jamanka and Lisa Buckwitz were better through the turns and finished Tuesday's competition 0.07 seconds in front.

Americans Jamie Greubel Poser and Aja Evans, who won a bronze medal together in Sochi, were in fourth place after Tuesday's heats, 0.32 seconds off the pace.

Two more runs will settle the medals Wednesday in Pyeongchang.

The U.S. women have finished on the podium in every Olympics, since the women’s event was added in 2002. Meyers Taylor has won bronze (2010) and silver (2014) medals and is looking to win her first gold in Pyeongchang. Gibbs, her 33-year old brakeman, is making her Olympic debut.

They finished the first run in 50.52 seconds, bettering a track record that Meyers Taylor set with Lolo Jones in 2017.

Going into the tournament, a pair of Canadian teams represented two of the biggest threats to the Americans' hopes of gold, but two-time gold medalist Kaillie Humphries and Phylicia George were fifth after the first two runs, 0.34 seconds behind the Germans.

Greubel Poser and Evans' race for bronze is tight so far. Only 0.04 seconds separated the teams in front of and behind them, Germans Stephanie Schneider and Annika Drazek and Humphries and George.

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