ST. LOUIS – The Winter Olympics are next year in Italy, and right now, the search is on for some bobsled and skeleton competitors.
Over the weekend, Team USA held a combine in St. Louis at the Parisi Speed School. The workouts featured a 40-yard sprint, frog jump, 10-yard sprint and vertical jump.
Bottom line, USA bobsled and skeleton is on the lookout for some potential new talent.
“I think it’s very important to athletes, especially everywhere in the United States, because we don’t just find athletes within base cities where we have tracks in the U.S,” said Anthony Ciolino, a USA skeleton athlete. “We have athletes from Texas, from Missouri, anywhere you can think of in the U.S. We have athletes that come and train for [Team] USA.”
Bobsled and skeleton often comprise of former college athletes, even if they specialized in another spot. Herschel Walker and Johnny Quinn come to mind.
Many of these athletes discover sliding sports after their collegiate careers, drawn by a blend of speed and strength. With the right physical tools and mindset, the transition to the Olympics can happen faster than expected for some.
“We have a four-year cycle every year,” said Ciolino. “If these guys make the team and try out and continue with the progression they have, they can easily make it within four years.”