Elana Meyers Taylor wins monobob gold, seals long-awaited Olympic title at 41
On Monday, Feb. 17, 2026 (ET), Elana Meyers Taylor produced a landmark moment in a storied career, winning the monobob at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games to claim her first Olympic gold. The 41-year-old's victory brings her total to six Olympic medals, tying the U. S. record for most Winter Olympic medals by a female athlete and further cementing her place in the sport's history.
A long-awaited summit
Meyers Taylor entered these Games already among bobsledding's modern greats, with five Olympic medals earned across four previous editions. That consistent excellence made a gold medal the one major item missing from an otherwise complete résumé. Her triumph in the single-person monobob — an event that emphasizes the individual athlete's start and sled control — delivered that missing piece.
The victory not only marks personal redemption but also reshapes the record books. With this gold, Meyers Taylor now shares the all-time U. S. Winter Olympic medal mark for women. Beyond the statistics, the win underscores her longevity in a physically demanding sport and her ability to evolve with new formats and fierce international competition.
Motherhood, motivation and momentum
Throughout her career, Meyers Taylor has pointed to her family life as a source of perspective and drive. Balancing elite sport with parenthood brought different priorities and emotional fuel — elements she credits with sharpening her focus when it mattered most. That blend of experience and motivation was on display in Milan-Cortina, where veteran poise and split-second decisions on the ice decided the medals.
The podium in the monobob also highlighted the depth of American talent in bobsled: a fellow U. S. competitor rounded out the medals, securing bronze. The result speaks to a program that has developed athletes capable of contending in both traditional multi-person sleds and the newer monobob discipline.
Implications for Team USA and the sport
Meyers Taylor's gold arrives at a pivotal moment for the U. S. winter program. Her achievement offers a rallying point for teammates and fans, and it will likely inspire a new generation of athletes from diverse backgrounds to consider sliding sports. Already recognized as the most decorated Black Winter Olympian, her ascent to the top of the podium amplifies conversations around representation and access in winter athletics.
On the competitive front, this result adds momentum to the American slate of athletes as the Games progress. It also underscores how experience and adaptability can pay dividends when formats and conditions shift from one Olympiad to the next. For Meyers Taylor, the gold is both a culmination of years of near-misses and a fresh chapter in a career that has repeatedly rewritten expectations for longevity and leadership in winter sport.
As the Milan-Cortina schedule continues, Team USA will look to build on this success across multiple events. For Meyers Taylor, the gold is a personal milestone that resonates far beyond any single race — a long-awaited summit reached by an athlete who has kept pushing until the very end.
