A week after finally leaving isolation, American bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor is coming to primetime.
NBC will have live coverage Saturday night when women’s monobob makes its official Olympic debut. Meyers Taylor has dominated the solo discipline, in which drivers work without a brakeman, but she is also coming off a week in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 on Jan. 29. The time away cost the three-time Olympic medalist her spot as a flagbearer for the opening ceremony.
Bobsled coverage will be paired in primetime with the start of the men’s giant slalom event, where American super-G silver medalist Ryan Cochran-Siegle is pursuing a second medal at these Games. Here are a few things to know.
The Monobob
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.
Monobob’s Olympic debut brings several new wrinkles to a sport that’s been on the Olympic program since 1924. Not only are competitors sliding alone, but they’re doing so in standardized sleds provided by organizers, making the discipline a purer test of athleticism and skill while removing the advantage gained by teams using aerospace science to perfect their vehicles.
Meyers Taylor has been the world’s top monobobber, but it’s unclear what effect her isolation might have. She finally got onto the Yanqing Sliding Center track for the first official practice session Thursday, while others had several unofficial runs before then.
Meyers Taylor passed her time alone by doing makeshift workouts in her room with weights and other equipment the team brought over. If she’s not up to the task, U.S. teammate and fellow three-time Olympic medalist Kaillie Humphries could take gold. Watch the monobob training runs live at 9 p.m. ET right here on Friday.
Don't miss the official action when it gets underway on Saturday. Here's a full watch guide for everything bobsled at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
