Women’s monobob is arguably the most anticipated of all seven debuting events at Beijing 2022.
In addition to the fact it’s something fresh and exciting, this year’s competition also has an intriguing storyline featuring a face quite familiar to Canadian Olympic fans.
Both men’s and women’s monobob events were included at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2016 and 2020 and following the 2018 Winter Olympics, the International Olympic Committee officially added women’s monobob to the 2022 slate of events.
The one-person bobsleigh race is exclusive to female athletes at this year’s Games. There is also a two-woman bobsleigh event, while male bobsleigh athletes have two- and four-man events available to them.
Three-time Olympic medallist and multiple-time world champion Kaillie Humphries is among Canada’s more decorated Olympians of the 21st century, however the 36-year-old Calgary native is representing the United States in her fourth Games.
After a lengthy and ongoing dispute with Canadian bobsled officials over claims of verbal abuse, mental abuse and harassment, Humphries left the Canadian team and petitioned to be allowed to compete for the U.S. She was eventually granted permission and has represented Team USA internationally since 2019. Humphries, who lives in California, is married to an American and officially became a U.S. citizen herself this past December.
Unlike team events, monobob athletes hold sole accountability for their results.
“The advantages to being by yourself is everything’s up to you,” Humphries told TeamUSA.org prior to the Games. “If you have a great run, you know it’s because you did it. You pushed hard, you pushed really fast, you drove really well. Also on the back end if you make a mistake, it’s solely on you. There’s nobody to hide or blame or anything else. It’s 100 percent up to you.”
HOW DOES MONOBOB WORK?
Bobsleigh athletes are tasked with specific responsibilities in team competitions but in monobob the athletes act as engine, steering wheel and brakes all-in-one. Each sled must weigh at least 357 pounds but the total weight including the pilot cannot exceed 544 pounds.
There are six trial heats scheduled so athletes can familiarize themselves with the track before four official heats take place over a two-day period. The pilot with the fastest total time after completing all four heats will win gold.
WHERE AND WHEN DOES IT TAKE PLACE?
Training heats for the women’s monobob competition run from Feb. 10-12 before the medal-round heats go down Feb. 13-14 at the Yanqing National Sliding Centre near the Xiaohaituo Mountain in the Yanqing District of Beijing.
The track, designed and built specifically for these Games, is approximately 1.6km in length and features 16 turns, including a unique 360-degree turn pilots must carefully navigate.
See the full full women’s monobob schedule below.
Feb. 10:
– Official Training Heat 1
– Official Training Heat 2
Feb. 11:
– Official Training Heat 3
– Official Training Heat 4
Feb. 12:
– Official Training Heat 5
– Official Training Heat 6
Feb. 13:
– Women’s Monobob Heat 1
– Women’s Monobob Heat 2
Feb. 14:
– Women’s Monobob Heat 1
– Women’s Monobob Heat 2 🥇 🥈 🥉
ATHLETES TO WATCH & CANADIAN CONTENT
As mentioned above, Humphries is clearly a name to watch. In addition to all her accomplishments with Canada, she has maintained her elite skill wearing the stars and stripes. Humphries won world championship gold in the two-woman event in 2020 with Lauren Gibbs and again in 2021 with Lolo Jones. Humphries also won gold in monobob at the 2021 world championships.
While Humphries may have an edge in star power, it’s her fellow Team USA pilot Elena Meyers Taylor that enters the Games as the odds-on monobob gold medal favourite.
Meyers Taylor, 37, has one Olympic bronze (2010) and two silver (2014, 2018) in two-woman bobsleigh and has four bobsleigh world championship gold medals to her name.
Cynthia Appiah might represent Canada’s best chance at monobob gold, but she’ll also be challenged by compatriot and teammate Christine de Bruin.
Appiah, 31, is coming off a fifth-place monobob finish at the 2021 IBSF World Championships and fourth at the World Cup in 2021 but is hoping for a podium finish in Beijing.
De Bruin has shone on the international stage ever since a seventh-place finish in the two-woman event at PyeongChang 2018. Gold medal performances at events in Germany in December and in Latvia on New Year’s Day have the 32-year-old carrying significant momentum into Olympic competition.
Germany is also consistently strong in bobsleigh events so it’s not surprising to see Mariama Jamanka and 2016 Youth Olympic champion Laura Nolte listed among the odds-on medal contenders.
Canada, the U.S., Germany, along with host China, are the only four countries with two competitors in this event. All 12 other nations participating have one pilot. Australia, Austria, France, Italy, Jamaica, Netherlands, Russia, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland, South Korea and Ukraine will also be represented in women’s monobob.
Monobob gold medal betting odds:
Elena Meyers Taylor (USA) +150
Kaillie Humphries (USA) +250
Laura Nolte (GER) +550
Cynthia Appiah (CAN) +650
Christine de Bruin (CAN) +700
Mariama Jamanka (GER) +1000
Breeana Walker (AUS) +1800
Ying Qing (CHN) +2500
Huai Mingming (CHN) +3300
Nadezhda Sergeeva (ROC) +4000
Melanie Hasler (SUI) +5000
Margot Boch (FRA) +10000
Katrin Beierl (AUT) +15000
Kim Yoo-ran (KOR) +15000
Andreea Grecu (ROU) +25000
Giada Andreutti (ITA) +25000
Karlien Sleper (NED) +25000
Jazmine Fenlator-Victorian (JAM) +50000
Viktoria Cernanska (SVK) +75000
Lidiia Hunko (UKR) +100000
Odds via Bodog
[relatedlinks]
