U.S. wins gold medal in four-man bobsled

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Steven Holcomb drove USA-1 to the gold medal in four-man bobsledding, ending a 62-year drought for Americans in the event.

It was the first gold medal for the U.S. in four-man bobsled since Francis Tyler won one for the Americans at St. Moritz, Switzerland, in 1948.

USA-1’s four-run time was 3 minutes 24.46 seconds.

Germany-1 won the silver in 3:24.84; Canada-1 took the bronze in 3:24.85.

The last sled down the track, Holcomb and his sledmates crossed the finish line and threw their arms in the air before wrapping each other in American flags. Holcomb hoisted his helmet high as family and friends craned for photographs, and a party that the U.S. program had been waiting 62 years for was finally getting started.

“It’s huge,” said USA-3 driver Mike Kohn, who finished 13th. “This is a great moment. It’s hopefully going to change the program and bring some publicity and some funding to this sport, just like it did in ’02 when we won silver and bronze.”

Kohn was a push athlete for Brian Shimer’s sled at those 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, when Todd Hays drove to silver and Shimer got the Americans a bronze.

-- Houston Mitchell in Vancouver, Canada