Ive Army Bobsledders and Biath- Lete SGT Jeremy Teela—All Veter- Ans
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Army/Tim Hipps Photographs: U.S. Above, Army World Class Athlete SGT Jeremy Teela (right) shoots in the Olympic men’s 12.5-kilometer pursuit. Right, SGT Teela finished ninth in the men’s 10-kilometer sprint, the best American finish ever in the biathlon. ive Army bobsledders and biath- lete SGT Jeremy Teela—all veter- ans or current members of the World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) —competed on Team USA at the 2010 Winter Olympics in February, with former Army National Guard soldier Steven Holcomb winning the four- man bobsled competition, America’s first gold medal in the event since Right, U.S. Army bobsledders 1LT 1948. A seventh soldier, U.S. men’s as- Chris Fogt and SGT John Napier are sistant bobsled coach and five-time two of six U.S. Army World Class Olympian SGT Bill Tavares, joined Athletes who competed in the Team USA in Vancouver. Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. SGT Teela finished ninth in the men’s 10-kilometer sprint on the first day of competition in Cup medal for biathlon since 1992. Serving with the Utah the biathlon at Whistler, posting the best American finish Army National Guard since 1997, SGT Teela told reporters, ever in the biathlon at the Winter Olympics. A three-time “It’s an honor to be able to represent the United States, but Olympian in the sport, which is a combination of cross- I get the special privilege to also represent the U.S. Army country ski racing and rifle shooting from standing and and have the backing of all those soldiers over in Afghani- prone positions, he took the bronze in the men’s individual stan. I’m just trying to do something here to make them biathlon in the 2009 World Cup—the first American World proud and give them something to cheer.” 56 ARMY I April 2010 Above (left), SGT Mike Kohn finishes his final Olympic two-man bob- sled run in 12th place while teammate Nick Cunningham salutes his mom. Above, former Army National Guard soldier Steve Holcomb drives the sixth fastest time in the first heat of the Olympic two-man bobsled competition. He also won the gold medal in the four-man bobsled competition. Left, SGT Shauna Rohbock (right) teams with Michelle Rzepka in the women’s bobsled event. They finished sixth. The seven-time U.S. National Champion, originally from Anchorage, Alaska, finished 29th in the Olympic men’s 15- kilometer mass start on February 21 while fighting illness. He missed the 20-kilometer men’s individual race on Feb- ruary 16 in order to rest and prepare for his other races. In the men’s relay, the U.S. team finished 13th. Bobsledders SGT John Napier, 1LT Chris Fogt, SGT Mike Kohn, SGT Shauna Rohbock and Army veteran Holcomb joined SGT Teela on Team USA. The United States was one of only three countries that qualified to enter three men’s sleds in the Olympics; others entered two. Holcomb’s four- man crew, nicknamed the Night Train, surpassed Germany and Canada for the gold. His two-man team took sixth. Af- ter a crash in the second heat, SGT Napier’s four-man sled—with 1LT Fogt in his crew—withdrew from the race. His two-man team finished 10th. Virginia Army National Guard SGT Kohn, a 2002 Olympic bronze medalist, piloted his four-man team to 13th place, while his two-man team came in 12th. SGT Rohbock drove her team to a sixth-place finish in the women’s bobsled, while U.S. teammates Erin Pac and Elana Meyers took the bronze. ( April 2010 I ARMY 57.