EUCLID, Ohio — Bobsled and skeleton athletes propel themselves down an icy track at speeds that can reach more than 90 miles per hour. While they’re some of the most skilled drivers in the world, it’s their sleds that help them win gold medals.
And those sleds take more than a skilled driver to win gold. There’s a whole team involved in the design, fabrication and maintenance of the sleds that provide a competitive advantage for Team USA.
In a sport where the sleds can travel up to 90 miles per hour, Team USA must take every factor into consideration, from the aerodynamics of the sled, to the cut of the runners that sit on the ice.
Avoiding a mistake can save you fractions of a second, which could mean the difference between standing on the podium and watching it from the side. Team USA has partnered with some of the biggest names in manufacturing to give their sleds an edge. One of those is Lincoln Electric, based in Euclid. They’ll provide training and teach techniques on how to best use their machines and tools to build some of the fastest sleds in the world.
“Lincoln Electric has been an amazing supplier for our USA Bobsled Team," says Aron McGuire, CEO of USA Bobsled & Skeleton.
Lincoln Electric also supplies welding and soldering products to teams in NASCAR, IndyCar and Monster Jam. Team USA Bobsled and Skeleton is not government funded, so they rely on these kinds of partnerships to help build the next generation of bobsleds.
“It’s a sense of pride. It’s America. USA. And we’re a big part of that," adds Lon Damon, a sports marketing specialist at Lincoln Electric.
More Olympic Coverage:
- US vs. Canada for gold in women’s hockey: Beijing Olympics livestreams for Wednesday, February 16
- Beijing Rewind, Feb. 15: More US medals, a hockey stunner and a podium sweep
- Meet Kelly Curtis: The first Black skeleton athlete to compete for US at Olympics
- Which is faster? Luge, skeleton or bobsled at the Winter Olympics?