Bree Walker and Kiara Reddingius have delivered Australia’s best-ever Olympic result in the 2-Woman Bobsleigh, finishing 10th in Cortina.
After breaking into the top 10 on their second run on day one, the pair backed it up with another strong effort to open their final day of competition.
Article courtesy olympics.com.au
They maintained their position in heat three, then starting 11th on their final run, were able to hold onto 10th place overall, surpassing the previous Australian best of 14th.
With spectators moved from the grandstand adjacent to the finish house as a precautionary measure due to a snow accumulation, Walker and Reddingius were able to run straight into the arms of family after crossing the line.
"That was absolutely amazing," Walker said. "I’m so glad they got to see that. I’m so glad they got to experience it.
"It was just a great way to end this Olympics.”
For Reddingius, whose parents had travelled from the West Australian goldfields, sharing the moment trackside was overwhelming.
“I did have a little bit of a meltdown!” Reddingius admitted with a laugh. “They’ve come a long way. It was really nice to share that moment with them and with Bree’s family. We’re all pretty much family at this point. It was really special.”
Walker, competing at her second Games and coming off an eighth-place finish in the monobob, said having her family present meant everything.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time and it’s such a rare occurrence to have my family trackside,” she said. “They don’t get to come to every race. So to have them here… it means everything.”
The pride extended within the team itself, with Reddingius full of admiration for her pilot’s progression from the individual competition through all four heats of the two-man event.
“I can’t express how proud I am of Bree,” Reddingius said. “She reset, she worked it out, and it just got better and better. I’m just so incredibly proud that we were able to do that.”
History was also made behind them, with Australia fielding two teams in the Olympic 2-Woman Bobsleigh for the first time.
Sarah Blizzard and Desi Johnson finished 21st after entering day two in 19th in a tightly-packed field.
With just 0.02 seconds separating them from a fourth run, the pair chose not to let the narrow margin define their campaign.
"I think that’s a huge achievement, to have two women’s teams," said Blizzard. "We were always going to be close to that top 20.
"I was saying just before that we’re always on the edge of the top 20 in World Cup, and the year before we weren’t even making the top 20.
"So I think it was always going to be tough. I know it’s a very competitive race.
"I think I did the best I could. I made a lot of adjustments and I think we did a great job."
Johnson echoed her pilot’s sentiments, and while disappointed not to get a fourth run, knows they gave it all they could.
"It's just so close - you've just got to put everything out there and that's what we did tonight," Johnson said.
"We can call ourselves Olympians now and we go home happy... I'm just so proud of us."
After breaking into the top 10 on their second run on day one, the pair backed it up with another strong effort to open their final day of competition.
Article courtesy olympics.com.au
They maintained their position in heat three, then starting 11th on their final run, were able to hold onto 10th place overall, surpassing the previous Australian best of 14th.
With spectators moved from the grandstand adjacent to the finish house as a precautionary measure due to a snow accumulation, Walker and Reddingius were able to run straight into the arms of family after crossing the line.
"That was absolutely amazing," Walker said. "I’m so glad they got to see that. I’m so glad they got to experience it.
"It was just a great way to end this Olympics.”
For Reddingius, whose parents had travelled from the West Australian goldfields, sharing the moment trackside was overwhelming.
“I did have a little bit of a meltdown!” Reddingius admitted with a laugh. “They’ve come a long way. It was really nice to share that moment with them and with Bree’s family. We’re all pretty much family at this point. It was really special.”
Walker, competing at her second Games and coming off an eighth-place finish in the monobob, said having her family present meant everything.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time and it’s such a rare occurrence to have my family trackside,” she said. “They don’t get to come to every race. So to have them here… it means everything.”
The pride extended within the team itself, with Reddingius full of admiration for her pilot’s progression from the individual competition through all four heats of the two-man event.
“I can’t express how proud I am of Bree,” Reddingius said. “She reset, she worked it out, and it just got better and better. I’m just so incredibly proud that we were able to do that.”
History was also made behind them, with Australia fielding two teams in the Olympic 2-Woman Bobsleigh for the first time.
Sarah Blizzard and Desi Johnson finished 21st after entering day two in 19th in a tightly-packed field.
With just 0.02 seconds separating them from a fourth run, the pair chose not to let the narrow margin define their campaign.
"I think that’s a huge achievement, to have two women’s teams," said Blizzard. "We were always going to be close to that top 20.
"I was saying just before that we’re always on the edge of the top 20 in World Cup, and the year before we weren’t even making the top 20.
"So I think it was always going to be tough. I know it’s a very competitive race.
"I think I did the best I could. I made a lot of adjustments and I think we did a great job."
Johnson echoed her pilot’s sentiments, and while disappointed not to get a fourth run, knows they gave it all they could.
"It's just so close - you've just got to put everything out there and that's what we did tonight," Johnson said.
"We can call ourselves Olympians now and we go home happy... I'm just so proud of us."
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