LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Codie Bascue learned plenty about driving from Steven Holcomb in their years together on the U.S. bobsled team.
And now he’s a winner in Lake Placid — just like Holcomb.
Bascue, who had no medals in his first three years on the World Cup bobsled circuit, finished a spectacular opening weekend to this season with a gold medal in the two-man race Friday at Mount Van Hoevenberg. It completed a two-medals-in-two-days start to the year for Bascue, who reached a World Cup podium for the first time with a bronze Thursday.
Bascue and McGuffie had the fastest runs in each heat, finishing the two runs in 1 minute, 51.73 seconds. Justin Kripps and Alexander Kopacz of Canada were second in 1:51.84, and Justin Olsen and Evan Weinstock of the U.S. took third in 1:52.13.
This was a strong first weekend for the U.S. bobsled team, which took five of a possible nine medals — one gold, two silvers and two bronzes — from the pair of two-man races and the women’s race in Lake Placid.
Bascue is the first American other than Holcomb to win a World Cup two-man race since 2009, when John Napier prevailed in Lake Placid. Holcomb had given the U.S. each of its last 10 World Cup golds in that event, including last year in Lake Placid with McGuffie in his sled.
Holcomb, the longtime leader of the U.S. bobsled program, died unexpectedly in his sleep in May.
There were two two-man races in Lake Placid because of a ruling earlier in the week about ice conditions. To make up for that, there will be two four-man competitions in Park City, Utah, next weekend when the World Cup tour resumes.
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