They won gold in Vancouver and they are back for more.
The men’s bobsled team has arrived in Sochi and held their first news conference Monday. It included Bay Area native, Nick Cunningham.
This team is proud to be at the Olympics, representing Team USA. But that’s not enough. Their team motto is P-to-P: Prepare to Podium.
Team USA’s Mens Bobsled team has nine members from all over the country, including 28-year-old Nick Cunningham, who was born in Los Gatos and now lives in Monterey. Cunningham is leading a two-man and four-man bobsled team.
He was a brakeman in the Vancouver Olympics and placed 12th and 13th.
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But for the Sochi games, he was moved from the back of the bobsled to the front, as the driver.
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“The stress levels are higher when you’re a pilot," Cunningham said." You know, going into it, the team relies on you.”
Cunningham said he’s ready for the Olympics because he’s been training with a champion. His teammate, Steven Holcomb, the driver of the other four-men bobsled team.
Holcomb’s team won Olympic Gold in Vancouver. Sochi will be harder for its uphill section.
“It’s going to take a really fast push, great sled. It’s going to take great driving. It will take all three. We have all three,” Holcomb said.
The team has a lot of other things too. Four members are army soldiers, including Cunningham.
Johnny Quinn used to be a former NFL player, but that didn’t last long.
“I was cut 3 times before my 26th birthday," Quinn said. "Humbling for me, but I knew I still wanted to compete. So finding this avenue in Bobsled is fantastic.”
Competition for Bobsledding begins Feb. 16th.
