Bobsledders and moms with local ties go for Olympic gold
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Team USA's Elana Meyers Taylor (left) and Kaillie Humphries (right) medaled in monobob at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Photo: Adam Pretty/Getty Images
Team USA's top bobsledders competing in the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Games have bobsleigh, motherhood and San Diego in common.
The big picture: Kaillie Humphries and Elana Meyers Taylor, who both sport San Diego County roots, are part of a U.S. Olympic roster that blends comeback veterans, rising stars and historic firsts.
Zoom in: The two elite athlete moms with North County connections are the most decorated female bobsledders in history.
- Now, they're looking to win more medals in what could be the final runs of their historic careers. And this time, their young sons will be watching.
- Teammates described Humphries and Meyers Taylor as "total badasses," and their coach called them "powerhouses," with both proving that having a baby doesn't need to halt athletic aspirations, The Athletic reports.
What they're saying: "We've always been told, 'If you have a baby, your body will never be the same, you're never gonna get back on the podium, you're going to change physically and mentally, so when you have a kid, your sport career is done,'" Humphries told The Athletic. "And that was true for a long time."
- "But we're proving that now, if you want both, you can have both."
Humphries, who's lived in Carlsbad for a decade, has won four Olympic medals (three gold) and five World Championship titles.
- She is looking to defend her historic gold in monobob, a solo bobsleigh event that made its Olympic debut in 2022.
- She is originally from Canada but switched to Team USA in 2019 after alleging abuse and harassment within the Canadian bobsledding team.
Meyers Taylor, who was born in Oceanside, is seeking her first gold medal while competing in her fifth Winter Olympic Games.
- She's won five medals — the most by any Black athlete in Winter Olympics history.
Driving the news: Live coverage of the opening ceremony starts today at 11am on NBC and Peacock, and most events run through Feb. 22.
- Humphries and Meyers Taylor will be competing in both women's bobsleigh events, two-woman and monobob, from Feb.15-21.
How to watch: NBCUniversal will air marquee events, daily coverage and nightly primetime programming.
- Tune in on NBC, USA Network, CNBC, Peacock and Hulu.
- Italy is nine hours ahead of Pacific time, so many medal events will air live overnight or early in the morning, but primetime coverage will recap the day's biggest moments.
- Find the full schedule at NBCOlympics.com/schedule.
The intrigue: Ski mountaineering, or "skimo," is making its Olympic debut this year.
- Athletes climb up snow-covered terrain — sometimes on skis, sometimes on foot — then ski down.
What's next: The Paralympic Winter Games will follow March 6-15, with competition also held across northern Italy.
- Carmel Valley native Kate Delson, 20, will compete in para snowboarding as the youngest member of the team.