Experience pays off for Slovakian team

BEAR HOLLOW — Experience paid off Monday, the opening day of America's Cup bobsled racing.

The Slovakian team of Jiri Dzmura and Pavel Polomsky won the gold, even though the two-man team's starts were less than outstanding.

Coaches called Dzmura a veteran driver with a lot of experience in selecting the fastest line, and apparently they were right. The team's two-run total time was 1 minute, 41.06 seconds.

Teams from the United States finished second through sixth.

Which, said Stephan Bosch, U.S. development coach, was "a good day."

The second day of the two-man is today. Race times are from 3 to 5 p.m. The event will resume Friday and Saturday with the men's four, the women's two-person and a skeleton event.

The two push starts by the Slovakian racers were 5.14 and 5.13 seconds for the first 100 feet, which fell somewhere in the middle of start times.

Even the Jamaican team posted a better start — 4.86 seconds.

The top finisher for the Americans, in sled No. 2, was driver John Napier and brakeman Jesse Beckom with a two-run total time of 1:41.72. Their push times were 5.10 and 5.07 seconds.

When asked the secret to a winning time on this track, called the fastest track in the world, Bosch listed a good start first.

"To be good in the push is important. You have to have two good runners," he said.

America's No. 1 team, Joe McDonald and Will Stolpe, finished in third with a time of 1:41.80. The team won the push-start race, however. The team's two times were 4.95 and 4.97 seconds.

The record for the two-man push start is 4.78 seconds.

The fastest runs Monday were about three seconds off the track record.

Finishing fourth was the American team of Lars Peterson and Will Person with a time of 1:42.

One of the top teams was expected to be the one from Jamaica — Dan Janigian and Yorgo Alexandrow. On the team's first start it posted a fast 4.86 seconds. But, on its second, Alexandrow tripped and fell and watched from ground level as the sled slid off with only its driver aboard.

America's top teams are currently in Europe on the World Cup tour.

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