Olympic Movements       

Bakken And Flowers Nominated To Compete        
In 2002 Olympic Bobsled Competition          

 
SALT LAKE CITY, UT  Pilot Jill Bakken and brakeman Vonetta Flowers captured a nomination to the 2002 Olympic Winter Games following the Verizon Championship Series and Olympic Trials staged in Park City, Utah, yesterday evening. Pending approval of the US Olympic Committee, Bakken and Flowers will compete in the premiere women’s sport event to take place in February on the US home bobsled track in Utah.

    Charlie Booker
    Official FIBT Photographer 

Charging off the start with the best push times of the race at 5.37 and 5.39, Bakken’s combined finish time was 1:38:31. She closely challenged leader Jean Racine’s performance, which ended only .14 under Bakken’s. “This track is like home to me,” said Bakken, a Utah resident who lives year-round in Park City, “I have a focus here that improves each time I drive. This season I’m taking one goal at a time, and I’ll work hard to hit the next one…an Olympic medal.”  

Earlier this month, controversy surrounded the US Women’s Bobsled team when US leading drivers Racine and Bakken changed brakemen in the eleventh hour of the season, after the German team dominated the US on the World Cup tour. Bakken picked up top-ranked Vonetta Flowers, champion of the 2001 pre-season, national push trials.

“I’m really thrilled,” said Flowers of the victory, “but this is just a ticket to the Games. Now the real work begins, and I’m ready to break records.”  

The Olympic Women’s Bobsled Event will premiere at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games on February 19 in Park City, Utah. For further information on Jill Bakken and the US Women’s Bobsled season, visit www.steelandice.com.

[Souce: INTERNET WIRE, Lois Hollan, Phone: 202 333-4568, Cell: 202 413-0739, Email: Lhollan@kreative.net]

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