MILAN — Kaillie Humphries etched her name further into Olympic bobsled history Saturday night at the Cortina Sliding Centre. And her 19-month-old son, Aulden, was there to witness it.
When Humphries, and push athlete Jasmine Jones, finished third in the two-woman bobsled on the penultimate day of competition at the Milan-Cortina Games, she secured her sixth Olympic medal, equaling American Elana Meyers Taylor’s record for the most medals won by a female sledder. The prize also marked her second of these Games, and made her the most decorated woman bobsledder over the age of 40.
Yet, Humphries believes her biggest accomplishment may be the example she’s setting for other mothers.
“I don’t think he’ll remember anything, but we got some awesome pictures and at the end of the day, it’s just the fact that he gets to be here, that he’s been on this journey this entire season, that he gets to be a part of it,” Humphries said of her son.
“For a long time I waited to have a child and I put my career first. And to know that I can have it all, I can be a mom, I can have my son here, I can still be at the pinnacle of performance and be on that Olympic podium, it really is just awesome. And it gave us that little extra boost that we needed today.”
Meyers Taylor’s sixth Olympic medal also came in Cortina, when she won the women’s monobob to become, at 41, the oldest person to win gold in any Winter Games. Meyers Taylor and brakewoman Jadin O’Brien finished tied for seventh in the two-woman event.
“I can’t even put into words what it’s meant to be able to do this for so long,” said Meyers Taylor, who was competing in her fifth Olympics, one fewer than Humphries. “To be able to represent my country and be able to slide, to do what I love to do. I don’t know if This represents the end, it kind of feels like it.
“I can’t tell if I’m happy or sad, I’ve had an incredible career, I’ve been able to do some amazing things, meet some amazing people. I gave it everything — I gave it every last thing. I don’t think there’s anything more I could possibly give.”
Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi of Germany, the reigning Olympic champions, successfully defended their title Saturday, beating Lisa Buckwitz and Neele Schuten, also of Germany.
Humphries and Jones posted a four-run time of 3 minutes and 49.21 seconds, .75 seconds behind the winners and .37 seconds ahead of Germany’s third sled, piloted by Kim Kalicki, preventing a German sweep.
Kaysha Love and Azaria Hill, former track teammates at Nevada Las Vegas, finished fifth.
Humphries and Jones set a track record of 56.92 seconds in their first run Friday but lost some ground in their second run, falling to third. They maintained that position throughout the remainder of the two-day competition.
Humphries, who competed in her first four Olympics for Canada, said she hopes she leaves a legacy that extends beyond medals.
“This sport needs to grow as a whole,” she said. “We’re able to be here because of the women that were before us and that fought for women to have this sport and for us to have these opportunities. And we’re going to continue to do our best work so that women long after us also have these opportunities and that they don’t feel limited based on opportunity, based on whatever the circumstances, whatever country they come from, whatever race they’re from, whether they’re a mom or not or whether they’re 40 years old.”
The bobsled bronze was the 32nd medal overall for the U.S. In these Games, two more than Italy. Norway has won a record 40.
