Bobsleigh and Skeleton Teams Ready to Rock This Season
Canada’s bobsleigh and skeleton’s teams were on top of the world in Vancouver, combining to win four medals, and they will be “Here on Top of the World” again this season.
Canada’s Olympic sliding medallists were in Toronto October 5th to look ahead to the coming campaign and to debut their official theme song, “Here on Top of the World,” by Juno award-winning artist Melanie Doane. In addition to being the team’s official anthem, the song commemorates 20 years of women’s bobsleigh in Canada.
As Canada’s only Olympic gold medal-winning women’s bobsleigh driver, Kaillie Humphries spoke about how music was a part of her routine with brakewoman Heather Moyse.
“A big part of our pre-race routine was bouncing around in the start house, listening to music on our headphones to calm our nerves,” Humphries said. “Today begins our journey to 2014. We want to build on our success and win more medals for Canada.”
The 2010-2011 begins on the Olympic track in Whistler, but these athletes already have their eyes on Sochi 2014.
“It’s going to be one heck of a ride towards 2014 and we promise to give everything we’ve got,” Humphries said.
This being the first year in an Olympic cycle, athletes have prepared differently for this season than they would in an Olympic year.
“I took a lot more time off. I started my training later,” said brakeman David Bissett. “You have more obligations that maybe you didn’t have time for last year.”
Shelley Ann Brown, silver-medal brakewoman has seen her whole routine turned upside down from a year ago.
“I’m here in Toronto, instead of Calgary, I have a new coach so I have new training program, so everything’s a little different,” she said. “I’m sort of glad for that because, since everything has changed, at least it’s all new.”
Skeleton racer and 2006 Olympic bronze medallist Mellisa Hollingsworth has unfinished business after her fourth-place finish in Vancouver and is using that as motivation for the 2010-2011 season.
“Four years ago, after accomplishing my dream of an Olympic podium, I was really tired, I was exhausted and I wasn’t really as motivated for the next season,” she said. “This year, I didn’t reach my goal and I have a lot of fire within me and things have gone very, very well this summer in training. I’ve had a couple setbacks recently and I’m excited to see how that prepares me mentally going toward 2014.”
After rocking the Whistler Sliding Centre last February, another successful World Cup campaign for Canadian bobsleigh and skeleton teams would be music to Canada’s ears.
