B*N*S*N1

Bobsledding Soldiers' attention turns to Olympic four-man event

Feb 24, 2010

By Tim Hipps (Family and MWR Command)

WHISTLER, British Columbia -- U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program bobsled pilot Sgt. John Napier feels more at home with WCAP brakeman 1st Lt. Chris Fogt in his Olympic four-man sled at the Whistler Sliding Centre.

The dynamic duo of WCAP Soldiers began training together aboard USA II on Tuesday with civilian teammates Chuck Berkeley of Clayton, Calif., and Steve Langton of Melrose, Mass., aboard for the Olympic four-man event scheduled for Friday and Saturday.

"I love four-man," said Napier, 23, of Lake Placid, N.Y. "I don't know why, I can't explain it, but it's just so much easier. In a four-man sled I just feel like I'm at home. My only (World Cup) win was in a two-man, so I know it doesn't add up, but the feeling of driving four-man is indescribable. "My sled and I get along really well on this track."

Napier gained a lot of confidence by finishing 10th in the Olympic two-man event Feb. 20-21, on the world's fastest bobsled track. His four-man crew feels fortunate to have Napier at the helm.

"I wasn't nervous about training because our pilot, John, drives four-man really well," said Fogt, 26, of Alpine, Utah. "I never doubt him. We're ready to roll and we feel confident as a team."

Steve Langton was Napier's brakeman for the Olympic two-man event.

"We had two really great runs today," Langton said. "You can tell John loves driving four-man. I think we can be in medal contention. We're a great team together. We can reel them in this week."

Berkeley also feels comfortable behind Napier, who began bobsledding at age 8.

"I was a little curious to see what would happen today because there's been a lot of hype about the track and the speed," Berkeley said. "I was curious, but I wasn't worried. I've got John Napier driving me and that's always a good thing and a safe bet."

Army National Guard Outstanding Athlete Program bobsled pilot Mike Kohn, 37, of Chantilly, Va., will drive the USA III sled in the four-man event. He teamed with Nick Cunningham of Monterey, Calif., to finish 12th in the two-man competition aboard USA III. Jamie Moriarty of Winnetka, Ill., and Bill Schuffenhauer of Ogden, Utah, will join them in the four-man sled.

"I feel good," Kohn said. "The first run felt better than the second, but I tried some different stuff. Training lets you figure out what works for you. The first run was quick. (Read more here)

[I can't figure out how to download the picture of these guys, so you'll have to go here to check it out.]