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February 19, 2014, 2:21 PM
Last updated: Wednesday, February 19, 2014, 3:29 PM

Olympics: Wayne's Jazmine Fenlator finishes 11th in women's bobsled

Two more heats and the same result left Wayne native Jazmine Fenlator out of the Olympic medal count Wednesday, but still put her in select company of athletes realizing their Olympic dream.

Fenlator and teammate Lolo Jones finished 11th overall in the women’s two-man bobsled, the same position they held after Tuesday’s first two heats, turning in final times of 58.50 and 58.74 for a total time of 3:53.97.

The U.S. team did not go home empty handed, however, taking silver and bronze behind the defending gold-medal Canadian team led by driver Kaillie Humphries and brakeman Heather Moyse.

The USA-1 team of Elana Meyers and Lauryn Williams were first at the halfway point, but after too much sliding and bumping in their final two runs, were passed by a margin of 0.10 seconds by the Canadians. Bronze went to the USA-2 team of Jamie Greubel and Aja Evans, who finished one full second behind the winners.

Though Jones was the most famous former Summer Olympian on the bobsled team, it was Williams, the woman she recruited to the sport, who made history. Williams became the fifth person overall to win a medal of any variety in both the Summer and Winter games, having won gold in the 4x100-meter relay in the 2012 London Olympics and silver in the 100 meters in Athens eight years earlier.

Jones, who brought much attention to the sport of bobsled while also drawing criticism for perceived favoritism in making the team, was hoping to erase her disappointing history at the Summer Games. She failed to medal as a hurdler in Beijing (2008) and London, clipping a hurdle at the end of what looked like a gold-medal race in Beijing and fighting through injury to take fourth in London. Both losses were heartbreaking, and Jones has been on record saying she is hopeful of competing in Brazil in 2016.

Williams, conversely, has retired from sprinting. But she already made history, and more than once. This was the first time the U.S. women placed two sleds on the podium in Olympic history. The entire team was engulfed in celebration, with Williams wrapping herself in an American flag following the silver-medal finish.

Fenlator, who starred in track and field at Wayne Valley High School and Rider University, has often referred to the group of teammates as a “wolfpack” on Twitter, a credit to their camaraderie and unity.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

 

From left to right, silver medal winners from the U.S. Elana Meyers and Lauryn Williams, gold medal winners from Canada Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse, and bronze medal winners from the U.S. Jamie Greubel and Aja Evans pose during the flower ceremony during the women's bobsled competition at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014, in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia.
From left to right, silver medal winners from the U.S. Elana Meyers and Lauryn Williams, gold medal winners from Canada Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse, and bronze medal winners from the U.S. Jamie Greubel and Aja Evans pose during the flower ceremony during the women's bobsled competition at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014, in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia.
From left to right, silver medal winners from the U.S. Elana Meyers and Lauryn Williams, gold medal winners from Canada Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse, and bronze medal winners from the U.S. Jamie Greubel and Aja Evans pose during the flower ceremony during the women's bobsled competition at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014, in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia.
The team from the United States, piloted by Jazmine Fenlator with brakeman Lolo Jones, left, wave to fans after their final run during the women's bobsled competition at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014, in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia.

Olympics: Wayne's Jazmine Fenlator finishes 11th in women's bobsled

AP
From left to right, silver medal winners from the U.S. Elana Meyers and Lauryn Williams, gold medal winners from Canada Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse, and bronze medal winners from the U.S. Jamie Greubel and Aja Evans pose during the flower ceremony during the women's bobsled competition at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014, in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia.

Two more heats and the same result left Wayne native Jazmine Fenlator out of the Olympic medal count Wednesday, but still put her in select company of athletes realizing their Olympic dream.

Fenlator and teammate Lolo Jones finished 11th overall in the women’s two-man bobsled, the same position they held after Tuesday’s first two heats, turning in final times of 58.50 and 58.74 for a total time of 3:53.97.

The U.S. team did not go home empty handed, however, taking silver and bronze behind the defending gold-medal Canadian team led by driver Kaillie Humphries and brakeman Heather Moyse.

The USA-1 team of Elana Meyers and Lauryn Williams were first at the halfway point, but after too much sliding and bumping in their final two runs, were passed by a margin of 0.10 seconds by the Canadians. Bronze went to the USA-2 team of Jamie Greubel and Aja Evans, who finished one full second behind the winners.

Though Jones was the most famous former Summer Olympian on the bobsled team, it was Williams, the woman she recruited to the sport, who made history. Williams became the fifth person overall to win a medal of any variety in both the Summer and Winter games, having won gold in the 4x100-meter relay in the 2012 London Olympics and silver in the 100 meters in Athens eight years earlier.

Jones, who brought much attention to the sport of bobsled while also drawing criticism for perceived favoritism in making the team, was hoping to erase her disappointing history at the Summer Games. She failed to medal as a hurdler in Beijing (2008) and London, clipping a hurdle at the end of what looked like a gold-medal race in Beijing and fighting through injury to take fourth in London. Both losses were heartbreaking, and Jones has been on record saying she is hopeful of competing in Brazil in 2016.

Williams, conversely, has retired from sprinting. But she already made history, and more than once. This was the first time the U.S. women placed two sleds on the podium in Olympic history. The entire team was engulfed in celebration, with Williams wrapping herself in an American flag following the silver-medal finish.

Fenlator, who starred in track and field at Wayne Valley High School and Rider University, has often referred to the group of teammates as a “wolfpack” on Twitter, a credit to their camaraderie and unity.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

 

From left to right, silver medal winners from the U.S. Elana Meyers and Lauryn Williams, gold medal winners from Canada Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse, and bronze medal winners from the U.S. Jamie Greubel and Aja Evans pose during the flower ceremony during the women's bobsled competition at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014, in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia.
The team from the United States, piloted by Jazmine Fenlator with brakeman Lolo Jones, left, wave to fans after their final run during the women's bobsled competition at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014, in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia.
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