The Associated Press
Members of the United States bobsled teams celebrate winning the silver and bronze medals on Saturday in Park City, Utah.

The Associated Press
The U.S. bobsled piloted by Brian Shimer (front) with teammates Mike Kohn (standing) Doug Sharp and brakeman Dan Steele slides into the finish area Saturday.

Hays, Shimer end U.S. men's boblsed drought

American pilots capture silver, bronze medals

Gannett News Service

Originally published Sunday, February 24, 2002

PARK CITY, Utah -- Todd Hays and Brian Shimer embraced at the finish line, American flags fluttering in the background Saturday night.

It was a snapshot in U.S. Olympic bobsled history, the rookie and the veteran celebrating the end of a drought and the end of a career.

Hays drove the USA 1 four-man sled to a silver medal and Shimer the USA 2 sled to a bronze, giving the Americans their first medals in the sport since 1956.

"We got a 46-year monkey off our back," said Hays, the 22-year-old Texan competing in his first Olympics. "I can't think of a better way for it to end -- two medals. I don't ever want to hear about 46 years again."

Shimer, the 39-year-old from Naples, Florida, couldn't have scripted a better end to his career. Competing in his fifth and final Olympics, he did what seemed impossible, vaulting from fifth place to third on the final two runs of the competition.

"He deserves that medal more than anyone," said Mike Kohn, who was riding in Shimer's sled with Doug Sharp and Dan Steele. "And to be honest, he won the medal because we had some of the slowest starts of the day."

Shimer recorded the second-fastest time of the third round and the fastest time of the fourth round to move up in the standings.

"We didn't think we had a shot at the medal, but after the first run, we thought maybe it was possible," Shimer said.

He also needed help from the Switzerland 1 sled, which was in second place after the first run. As he watched the Swiss' split times on a television screen, and saw that his time was holding up, he could hardly believe his eyes.

"I was like, 'This is impossible, this can't be happening,' " Shimer said. "I was thinking maybe I passed out after my second run and I was dreaming."

Hays was dreaming of a gold medal when he came to the Olympic Park track Saturday, with his sled in first place. But a sluggish run in the third round dropped him into third place, with track conditions contributing to a slower time.

"I think it was just the heat. It was 50 degrees," said Randy Jones, who was riding in Hays' sled with Bill Schuffenhauer and Garrett Hines. "We were off first and every sled that came down was getting consistently faster. We were just trying to hold on."

For Hines, the silver medal was especially gratifying. He had missed two Olympic medals by a combined total time of 0.05 seconds, one in the four-man event in 1998 with Shimer and one in the two-man last week with Hays.

"This makes up for just about everything," Hines said. "This medal is for everybody, including Pavle."

Pavle Jovanovic had been Hays' brakeman in the two-man before Jovanovic was suspended for a doping violation and lost an appeal before the Olympics started. Hines replaced him in the sled and showed his respect Saturday by wearing a black stocking cap with "Pavle" stitched in white.

The medal also was extra special for Hines because he won it on his daughter Nicholle's 12th birthday.

Hines and Jones became the first male African-American athletes to win medals at the Winter Olympics. Earlier in these Games, Vonetta Flowers became the first African-American to win a gold medal in the Winter Games. She won in the women's bobsled, teaming with Jill Bakken.

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