Just when you think you've got this Olympic bobsled thing by the tail and you're comfortably in the driver's seat, fate steps in to put on the brakes.
Such is the story of Tuffy Latour at the Olympic bobsled driver's trials.He was at the top of the game, a shoo-in for a spot on the Olympic team. Only two drivers are listed in the official world bobsled guide - Brian Shimer of Lake Placid, the only driver to get an automatic spot based on his World Cup finishes, and Latour. On the World Cup circuit, Latour has been impressive, always one of the top finishers for the U.S. team.
For the trials, Latour, from Schenectady, N.Y., and Jim Herberich from Winchester, Mass., were co-favorites.
Just before the trials, his brakeman and No. 1 pusher pulled a hamstring. Next to a good sled, the push is the most important part of bobsledding.
Then on Wednesday, sitting in a comfortable third after two runs, he was unseated by a mere one-hundredth of a second.
"I've got to win both of the four-man races if I have any hope of making the Olympic team," Latour said as he listened to the finish times and realized that he was fourth for the second day.
"It's going to be a dogfight," he added. "The problem is, I'll be without my best pusher. It's going to make it difficult, but I can do it."
Based on cumulative points over four races - two two-man and two four-man - the top three drivers will join Shimer in Nagano, Japan, in one month.
For the second day, Herberich and brakeman Robert Olesen of Champaign, Ill., were first with times of 49.96 and 50.06 for a total one minute, 40.02 seconds. And for the second day, Todd Hays of Del Rio, Texas, and brakeman Duane Mock of Eufaula, Ala., were second in 1:40.46.
And, for the second straight day Bruce Rosselli of Terre Haute, Ind., with brakeman Paule Jovanovic, were third in 1:40.74. Latour and brakeman Chris Coleman were fourth, again, at 1:40.75.
Watching and analyzing the race from the finish area of the Bear Hollow track, Shimer said Herberich's success came down to three factors: experience, a great start, a good sled - a Bodyn, recognized as the fastest sled in the world.
Once again, Herberich and Olesen had the fastest push times at Wednesday's start - 4.89 and 4.88 seconds in the first 15 meters. Hays' push times were next (4.97 and 4.95), followed by Rosselli's (4.98 and 4.98) and Latour's (5.01 and 5.02).
Faced with an optional third run, Herberich chose to pass.
"Strategy," he said. "It's just good strategy. To beat me, Todd (Hays) would have had to run a 49.50 and I didn't think that would happen. Not on this track. Not today. Anything is possible, I guess, but it was very unlikely."
Hays did make a third run but couldn't better his first two times. Rosselli also opted for the third, which was fast enough to bump Latour. Latour also took a third but couldn't improve his previous two times. In the blink of an eye, at 80 miles per hour, his position became much tougher.
Latour said he thinks his chances of winning both four-man events are good since he considers himself a better driver in the larger sled.
"I set the track record here in the four-man," he said. "Now I hope to improve on that. It's doable, yes it's very doable."
The pressure will be on Rosselli, whose four-man sled - a Dresden model valued at $30,000 - burned in a fire in West Valley a week ago. He will be driving an old Bodyn on lease to him from the U.S. Bobsled Federation.
Admittedly, he would rather be in a sled like his old one. "You get used to something and it's difficult to change," he said. "I'll have two days to get used to the new sled before the races."
The bobsled track at Bear Hollow will be open for practice on Thursday and Friday. Races will begin at 3 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Drivers will earn points for each day's finish as well as bonus points for fast times. The three drivers with the most points will make the Olympic team.
On Monday, it will be the brakeman's time to earn an Olympic seat. Special push-start competition will determine winners. Whether they push for their current drivers in Nagano will be left up to the bobsled officials.
"In some cases," Herberich said, "you can make your feelings known and hopefully they'll listen. With the starts we're getting, though, I doubt if they'll break us up. At least I hope not."