Austin Holds Off Gadbois in NAC 2-man

From Whistler, CAN

(November 22, 2024) – Taylor Austin took gold in the North American Cup two-man bobsled season opener as he held off American Geoff Gadbois for top honors.

Austin and brakeman Shane Ohrt didn’t quite have the top start in the first heat, but the Candian duo still slid to a .2 lead over Gadbois and brakeman Collin Storms after the first heat, with Canadians Jay Dearborn and Kenny-Luketa M’Pindou sitting in third.

In the second heat it was Pat Norton and Keaton Bruggeling who made the jump from off the podium into medal contention after a smooth second slide placed them into the lead, a lead they would hold until Gadbois’s second effort.

The American’s push time wasn’t quite as quick as his first effort, but the drive was .35 quicker and more than enough to slide into the lead with only Austin to go.

Austin and Ohrt picked up the pace off the top by .17, and were rewarded with a race-quickest slide on their way to gold, with Gadbois and Norton rounding out the medals.

Austin’s gold was his 11th in North American Cup two-man competition. He’s won on every track still operating in North America.

For Gadbois, the silver medal was his first ever two-man medal in Canada, while for Norton the bronze was also his first in Whistler in the two-seater.

USA’s Kris Horn and Hunter Powell finished fourth, .15 out of the medals, while Canada’s Cyrus Gray and Shaq Murray-Lawrence and the team of Dearborn and M’Pindou rounded out the top six.

AJ Edelman and Regnars Kirejevs finished seventh as the first non-American or Canadian sled.

Results: