CORTINA D'AMPEZZO — The gold medal hopes of one pair of U.S. athletes were dashed this week, as the American women's bobsled team came in last place after stopping to ask for directions.
Elana Meyers Taylor and Jadin O'Brien, competing in the 2-Woman Bobsled event, were considered strong contenders to reach the podium but suffered a shocking fall in the standings after briefly stopping during the middle of their run to ask for directions to the finish line.
"They just wanted to make sure," one spectator said. "They were given clear directions before the competition… and a map… but they ended up not knowing where they were and decided to stop to ask for directions. They were on pace to challenge for the top spot on the leaderboard, but unfortunately, that stop added an extra 15 seconds to their time and landed them in dead last."
Despite the disappointment, Meyers Taylor said she had no regrets. "We were lost," she told reporters after the event. "I know people are going to say, ‘but there is only one way to go — down,' but neither one of us is great when it comes to a sense of direction. We needed help finding our way to the finish line. We're women, after all. They should make it easier to get there. Maybe they could, like, put up signs or something. Anyway… the experience makes us all winners, right?"
At publishing time, the women's bobsled team had asked coaches if their bobsled for the next Winter Olympics could be outfitted with cupholders for their Stanley tumblers.
Protect yourself from the modern day gestapo!
