02/22/2002
PARK CITY, Utah — Todd Hays can end 46 years of slips, slides and sunken
feelings for U.S. men's bobsled in his next 90 or so seconds on ice.
Hays drove the USA-1 bobsled into first place Friday after the first two
heats of the four-man event, and with a couple more strong runs he may
finally end a U.S. men's medal drought dating to 1956.
"We're excited and happy," said brakeman Garrett Hines, who twice has
missed winning a medal by the blink of an eye. "We know that it's not
over by any means. It's going to be a dogfight."
Hays, a former linebacker at Tulsa, blasted down the Utah Olympic Park
course in 1 minute, 33.26 seconds in front of a rowdy crowd starting to
believe this has become a magic mountain for the United States.
The Americans have won gold in the last three events — women's bobsled
and men's and women's skeleton — on the canyon course. Fittingly, Hays
can make it four in a row in the four-man.
Hays leads both Switzerland-1 and Germany-2 by .09 seconds entering
Saturday's final two heats. He'll be the first sled down the hill in the
third heat.
The soft-spoken native of Del Rio, Texas, didn't say a word to reporters
after his two runs Friday.
"He's the man in the front, so we kind of let him do his own thing,"
said Hines. "He just wants to make everyone proud and get us this gold."
Martin Annen, who won the bronze medal in the two-man race, is right
behind Hays. Annen is tied with Germany's Andre Lange for second.
Christoph Langen, who won gold in two-man and is the defending four-man
champion from Nagano, injured his right foot on the start of the second
heat and is in sixth at 1:33.68.
Langen took his shoe off after leaving the track, stuffed snow in his
sock and was to have his foot examined by doctors. The 39-year-old said
if it was too serious he would not race Saturday.
Brian Shimer, appearing in his fifth and final Olympics, piloted USA-2
to a time of 1:33.65 and is fifth.
The U.S. men haven't won an Olympic medal since Arthur Tyler took bronze
in the four-man at Cortina, Italy, in 1956. Since then, there have been
some close calls — and some broken hearts.
In 1988 at Calgary, the U.S. missed a bronze by .02 seconds in four-man.
Four years later, Shimer came up .02 short for a bronze at Nagano. And
then last weekend, Hays finished .03 out of a medal.
Two more runs like he had Friday, and Hays can end the dry spell
stretching back to the Eisenhower administration.
"I want it real bad," Hines said. "It means a lot of things."
Hines and Randy Jones have a chance to become the first African-American
men to win gold medals in the Winter Games. Vonetta Flowers made history
earlier this week by winning gold as women's bobsled made its Olympic
debut.
"That would be a big accomplishment for both of us," Hines said.
With a .06 lead after a first run of 46.65 seconds, Hays guided his red
sled with the two bald eagles painted on both sides down the 16-curve
track without any problems in Heat 2, finishing in 46.61 seconds — the
fastest run of the day.
Hays blamed his fourth-place finish in the two-man on a case of nerves
and some erratic driving. He promised to do better in the four-man race,
and so far, he has.
"He's just got to put together two good runs," Shimer said, "and those
guys aren't going to catch him."
Shimer has a shot at a medal, too.
The 39-year-old, edged out of a bronze in Nagano by .02 seconds in the
four-man, got slow starts in both runs. But his experience helped him
make up time all the way to the bottom, and he'll enter his final day of
competition .30 seconds out of third.
"That's going to be hard to make up," he said. "But there's no use in
holding back. It's the last day of my career."
Two sleds, New Zealand-1 and Virgin Islands-1 both crashed on the bottom
part of the course and went across the finish line on their sides in the
first heat.
Keith Sudziarski, the Virgin Islands driver, received eight stitches in
his knees between runs. He was given medical clearance to continue, but
decided against it and dropped out of competition.