Fountain To Try Bobsled

[leoesharkey]

Shotputters are very strong, and fast too....

[26mi235]

Shotputters are very strong, and fast too....

Shot putters are quick (and nimble for their size) but not necessarily fast. Two different things.

[decafan]

Shotputters are very strong, and fast too....

Shot putters are quick (and nimble for their size) but not necessarily fast. Two different things.

Elite shot putters have similar fast twitch muscle make-up as elite sprinters. You would be shocked at how fast they are for 30m.

[polevaultpower]

I've seen Adam Nelson do the 40y dash, it was pretty impressive. He was fast!

[26mi235]

Some shot putters are fast by ordinary standards, and a few by higher standards. However, that does not mean the shot putters, in general, are fast.

[cladthin]

It depends upon what one's view of speed is. A world class shotputter or top olympic weightlifter can out accelerate pretty much any athlete (including sprinters) for short distances out to 20m-25m or possibly a bit further. Of course this varies based upon which individuals are being tested or compared. These athletes are the best at acceleration.

Certainly, the sprinter will possess superior maximum velocity to the shot putter. Some shot putters accelerate very well though their strength advantage starts to fall off as they go out to longer sprint distances such as 30m, 35m and so on as their bodyweight now turns into a disadvantage. In a short acceleration, the bodyweight contributes a large degree to their higher strength levels and thus their ability to run very short sprints as fast or faster than any athletes in the world.

[jazzcyclist]

It depends upon what one's view of speed is. A world class shotputter or top olympic weightlifter can out accelerate pretty much any athlete (including sprinters) for short distances out to 20m-25m or possibly a bit further. Of course this varies based upon which individuals are being tested or compared. These athletes are the best at acceleration.

Certainly, the sprinter will possess superior maximum velocity to the shot putter. Some shot putters accelerate very well though their strength advantage starts to fall off as they go out to longer sprint distances such as 30m, 35m and so on as their bodyweight now turns into a disadvantage. In a short acceleration, the bodyweight contributes a large degree to their higher strength levels and thus their ability to run very short sprints as fast or faster than any athletes in the world.

I would also think that shot putters, while not being able to compete in the 100 at the elite level, would have a lot better top end if they did all the running that sprinters do, in particular the over-distance training.

Based on the info that 18.99 provided above, the theoretical average maximum weight for bobsledders and their equipment are:

2-man: 238 pounds
2-woman: 233 pounds
4-man: 231.5 pounds

[j-a-m]

Seems that worked out just fine:

http://espn.go.com/olympics/bobsled/sto ... bsled-team

[marknhj]

A handful of my athlete friends made GB Olympic bobsled teams. They were decathletes who were not quite world class in T&F, but still fast and big.

[GDAWG]

Nice to see more African Americans try to make the Winter Olympics squad. Shani Davis should not be the only one.

[guru]

Funny how Aja Evans kicks everyone's ass, and breaks the Lake Placid track push record, but Jones is the one who gets the headlines.

Seems we've been down this road before...

[lonewolf]

The girl can't help it.... not should she.

[jazzcyclist]

Funny how Aja Evans kicks everyone's ass, and breaks the Lake Placid track push record, but Jones is the one who gets the headlines.

Seems we've been down this road before...

She ran her way onto the Olympic team this year, she wasn't selected for it. How goes the bobsled selection process? Is it done by guys in smoked-filled rooms?

[guru]

The girl can't help it.... not should she.

I'm not blaming her, but the media continues to befuddle me on this fascination with her.



By the way, here's some info on Evans, since you're not likely to get it anywhere else.

http://www.fightingillini.com/sports/w- ... aja00.html


And her twitter page

https://twitter.com/AjaLEvans


Evans in action

http://instagram.com/p/RNwIuymXav/

[guru]

How goes the bobsled selection process? Is it done by guys in smoked-filled rooms?

Six brakemen made the team. Jones was 6th, 4th among the track athletes. She probably deserved to make the cut, I just don't get the media fascination with making her a headline story. If anything Evans, a shotputter, destroying everyone is the big story(if not totally unexpected, at least by me)

[jazzcyclist]

How goes the bobsled selection process? Is it done by guys in smoked-filled rooms?

Six brakemen made the team. Jones was 6th, 4th among the track athletes. She probably deserved to make the cut, I just don't get the media fascination with making her a headline story. If anything Evans, a shotputter, destroying everyone is the big story(if not totally unexpected, at least by me)

So it was based strictly on time? Is your beef mainly with Lolo sucking all the oxygen out of the media room so to speak?

[lonewolf]

The girl can't help it.... not should she.

I'm not blaming her, but the media continues to befuddle me on this fascination with her./

People are (mostly) either pro or con Lolo... if you are one of the "undecided" still befuddled by her popularity/notoriety, that befuddles me..

[guru]

So it was based strictly on time?

It doesnt look like it. Jones was 7th at the push championships, beaten soundly by Fountain.

Order Name Heat I Heat II Optional Heat III TOTAL

1 Aja Evans 4.84 4.81 9.65
2 Katie Eberling 4.88 4.90 9.78
3 Cherrelle Garrett 5.02 4.97 9.99
4 Hyleas Fountain 5.00 5.01 10.01
5 Tianna Madison 5.03 5.01 10.04
6 Emily Azevedo 5.01 5.03 10.04
7 LoLo Jones 5.04 5.07 10.11





And doesn't look like she even got a ride in the team championships last weekend.

1. Jamie Greubel and Aja Evans 1:55.94 (57.56, 58.38);
2. Jazmine Fenlator and Cherrelle Garrett 1:55.99 (57.67, 58.32);
3. Katelyn Kelly and Tracey Stewart 1:59.49 (59.68, 59.81);
4. Megan Hill and Maureen Ajoka 1:59.50 (59.26, 1:00.24)

[preston]

Funny how Aja Evans kicks everyone's ass, and breaks the Lake Placid track push record, but Jones is the one who gets the headlines.

Seems we've been down this road before...

She ran her way onto the Olympic team this year, she wasn't selected for it. How goes the bobsled selection process? Is it done by guys in smoked-filled rooms?

If Bianca Knight can be SELECTED to run on the USA 4x1 then I have no problem with Lolo being able to get a CHANCE to push at the Olympics in 2 years. Go Lolo!

[guru]

If Bianca Knight can be SELECTED to run on the USA 4x1 then I have no problem with Lolo being able to get a CHANCE to push at the Olympics in 2 years.

Valid point. But if I'm Hyleas Fountain, I'm pretty pissed right now...

[jazzcyclist]

If Bianca Knight can be SELECTED to run on the USA 4x1 then I have no problem with Lolo being able to get a CHANCE to push at the Olympics in 2 years.

Valid point. But if I'm Hyleas Fountain, I'm pretty pissed right now...

I'm surprised that she made it. Like you, I assumed that they would be looking for pushers heavier than Lolo.I wonder how someone like Ginnie Powell would have done? And though she's not American, I'll bet Blessing Okagbare would have tested well. It doesn't say much for the depth of bobsledding that track athletes can make the team on a whim.

[decafan]

If Bianca Knight can be SELECTED to run on the USA 4x1 then I have no problem with Lolo being able to get a CHANCE to push at the Olympics in 2 years.

Valid point. But if I'm Hyleas Fountain, I'm pretty pissed right now...

There is a WHOLE lot more to bobsledding than the single-person push championships. Pushing with a driver and going down a mile of ice is very different. Drivers also have input. There are many other variables coaches consider. Rookies improve at different rates. My sources tell me Lolo was very professional and highly motivated throughout this process. She was there to make this team.

Guru, stop looking for reasons not to like Lolo. She deserved her spot.

[guru]

There is a WHOLE lot more to bobsledding than the single-person push championships. Pushing with a driver and going down a mile of ice is very different. Drivers also have input. There are many other variables coaches consider. Rookies improve at different rates. My sources tell me Lolo was very professional and highly motivated throughout this process. She was there to make this team.

Guru, stop looking for reasons not to like Lolo. She deserved her spot.

You're saying Fountain sucked and deserved to passed over for Jones. Fair enough.

[guru]

I'm surprised that she made it. Like you, I assumed that they would be looking for pushers heavier than Lolo.I wonder how someone like Ginnie Powell would have done? And though she's not American, I'll bet Blessing Okagbare would have tested well. It doesn't say much for the depth of bobsledding that track athletes can make the team on a whim.

I think that's a fair and accurate assessment.

[jazzcyclist]

Does anyone know of a forum where winter sports fanatics discuss bobsledding? I'd like to hear what knowledgeable people have to say.

[decafan]

You're saying Fountain sucked and deserved to passed over for Jones. Fair enough.

Are you a child? Fountain was terrific as well. Just not quite as good as Lolo.

[guru]

You're saying Fountain sucked and deserved to passed over for Jones. Fair enough.

Are you a child? Fountain was terrific as well. Just not quite as good as Lolo.

Well I'll tell you what. You don't infer intent in my comments here, and I won't do it to yours. How's that sound?

And for the record - I said on this very forum at 7:43 PM I thought Jones probably deserved the spot(though Fountain has every reason to feel slighted).

[decafan]

You're saying Fountain sucked and deserved to passed over for Jones. Fair enough.

Are you a child? Fountain was terrific as well. Just not quite as good as Lolo.

Well I'll tell you what. You don't infer intent in my comments here, and I won't do it to yours. How's that sound?

And for the record - I said on this very forum at 7:43 PM I thought Jones probably deserved the spot(though Fountain has every reason to feel slighted).

That sounds good. Just so I am clear: You are NOT a Lolo hater. You are pro-Lolo. You agree that you can't legislate media interest no matter how badly you wish you could. You agree that Lolo deserved to be named to the national team. If you were Ms. Fountain you would feel slighted (even though nobody involved in the process- including the athletes, were surprised by this decision). Got it.

I appreciate you clearing that up and I apologize for inferring you hate Lolo just because the media- which she has no control over, seems to like writing about her.

Friends???

[guru]

Make no mistake about it - the only track athlete who's going to wind up in a sled at a major championship is Evans, at least from this group. But if Jones brings more publicity to the sport(what is it Oscar Wilde said?), then she's fulfilled her role.

But it sure would be nice if the media(Bonnie Ford I'm looking at you) could at least mention the name of the woman who absolutely destroyed the field, and the track record.

[Pego]

I said on this very forum at 7:43 PM I thought Jones probably deserved the spot

Why? Just wondering.

[guru]

I said on this very forum at 7:43 PM I thought Jones probably deserved the spot

Why? Just wondering.

Strictly by the numbers, of course she didn't deserve it. But when I made the comment my feeling was USA Bobsled must have seen something in her performance that caused them to take Jones over Fountain for that last brakeman slot.

The cynic in me would say it was because Jones brings more pub than Fountain, but surely that had nothing to do with it...

[jazzcyclist]

I said on this very forum at 7:43 PM I thought Jones probably deserved the spot

Why? Just wondering.

Strictly by the numbers, of course she didn't deserve it. But when I made the comment my feeling was USA Bobsled must have seen something in her performance that caused them to take Jones over Fountain for that last brakeman slot.

The cynic in me would say it was because Jones brings more pub than Fountain, but surely that had nothing to do with it...

It's my understanding that only three of the six pushers will get to compete in the Olympics. If that's the case, perhaps they wanted to bring publicity to the sport. The NFAA was ecstatic when Geena Davis made it to the semifinals of the Olympic Archery Trials for just this reason, and there no doubt that NBC would have made her one of the faces of the Olympics if she had somehow made the team.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympi ... rchery_ap/

[James Fields]

Update: Headline now says Lolo on USA Olympic Bobsled Team:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1384355-lolo-jones-picked-for-us-olympic-bobsled-team

[guru]

Update: Headline now says Lolo on USA Olympic Bobsled Team

No, she's not on the Olympic team. She's on the US Bobsled roster, with an opportunity to try to make the 2014 team. But as we have discussed here since the announcement was made a few days ago, she's not very likely to make the final two or three brakemen who actually go to Sochi.

[decafan]

Update: Headline now says Lolo on USA Olympic Bobsled Team:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1384355-lolo-jones-picked-for-us-olympic-bobsled-team

I have seen the same thing in a few publications. Totally incorrect. The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Bobsled Team will most likely be named in January of 2014. Possibly December of 2013.

Guru is full of it. She has a real chance to make that team. As does Tianna. Aja is a lock unless she bails out or gets hurt. Three sleds, three drivers, three breakmen.