The Crash Years

Imagine being in the lead in the Winter Olympic two-man bobsled competition.  Imagine almost making it to the finish line after the second run, practically inches - or, in the case of the Olympics, centimeters - away from the end.  Then you crash, and you blow it.

Well, Christian Poser and Nico Walther of Germany did all of that . . . except for the "blowing it" part.  Just as they neared the finish line in PyeongChang, their sled turned over and made its way to the end of the track on its side, its runnings protruding into the air.  Poser and Walther still made it over the line in first place.    

They're actually the ones to beat for a gold medal.

Also in competition are teams from Canada and - of course - Latvia, home of the great Janis Kipurs (you knew I was going to bring that name up eventually).  The Americans?  Not so much, but their problems may be more psychological than athletic.  Steven Holcomb, the American champion bobsledder who won a gold medal in the four-man competition at the 2010 Winter Games, died in May 2017 of a combination of alcohol and opioids, and his death still seems to have an effect on the team; the NBC commentators have even suggested a mental block holding back the U.S. competitors.  Kudos to the Americans for continuing and carrying on.  It wouldn't be a cliché to say that Holcomb would have wanted it that way, but even if it is, clichés aren't the same as lies.