Two Woman Bobsled: Nolte and Buckwitz Hold Lead as Humphries, Jones Sit Third at Midpoint
At the midway point of the two woman bobsled competition, two German sleds lead the field while the top U. S. entry of Kaillie Humphries and push athlete Jasmine Jones holds third place. The standings after two runs leave the podium battle tightly contested and set the stage for Runs 3 and 4 on Saturday afternoon.
Two Woman Bobsled Midpoint Standings
After Run 2, Laura Nolte and her brakewoman sit in first place, followed by Lisa Buckwitz and her partner in second. Kaillie Humphries and Jasmine Jones are third, 0. 23 seconds behind the leaders. Buckwitz is 0. 05 seconds ahead of the top U. S. sled.
Humphries, age 40, is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in earlier editions of this event when she represented another country; she is now pursuing her first two-woman Olympic medal as a member of the U. S. team. The competition has also featured a track-record note in different accounts: one account highlights a record set in the first heat by Humphries and Jasmine Jones, while other coverage points to Nolte having set a track record as the top seed. Those details appear to vary across coverage and remain part of the developing competition story.
Kaysha Love and Azaria Hill moved from sixth after Run 1 to fifth after Run 2 and sit 0. 39 seconds out of the medals. Defending monobob champion Elana Meyers Taylor and rookie brakewoman Jadin O’Brien held fifth after the first run but suffered a costly error at the start of Run 2. The pair hit the wall and skidded, losing approximately one full second on their cumulative time and falling to 12th overall.
Local Support, Records and Key Incidents
The competition has drawn attention both on track and off it. Supporters gathered for a watch party in Greensburg to cheer on Jasmine Jones, a hometown athlete whose first-heat run earned a fast time and energized local fans. Jones, noted as a Jeannette native and a 2014 graduate of Hempfield Area, posted first- and second-heat times of 56. 92 seconds and 57. 24 seconds respectively in one account, leaving the pair ranked third among 25 teams at the midpoint.
Speed figures from one account highlighted a range from 35 mph to 81. 19 mph during Jones’ first heat, illustrating the intense acceleration involved in the start. Meanwhile, the mishap involving Meyers Taylor and Jadin O’Brien underscored how quickly fortunes can change on this track: the pair acknowledged the error, described the skid up the first curve, and maintained focus on the remaining runs.
Jadin O’Brien is identified as a Notre Dame alum and a three-time NCAA track champion; she made her Olympic debut as the push athlete and now sits with her pilot in 12th place after two heats.
What to Watch in Runs 3 and 4
Runs 3 and 4 are scheduled for Saturday, with Run 3 set to begin at 1: 00 p. m. ET and the final medal run slated for 3: 05 p. m. ET. The combined times across the four heats will determine the medals, leaving room for movement among the leaders and challengers. Teams separated by fractions of a second will have two more attempts to gain ground or protect their positions.
Key elements to watch include start speed and line through the upper curves, both factors that influenced positions after the first two runs. The top German sleds will try to maintain their advantage, while Humphries and Jones and other U. S. crews aim to shrink time gaps in the final day of competition.
Details remain subject to updates as Runs 3 and 4 unfold; the situation is developing and results will be finalized after the medal run on Saturday afternoon.
