BEAR HOLLOW ? Jean Racine is back on top of the women's bobsled world, handily winning the first of two races that will determine the makeup of the U.S. Olympic team.
She was surprisingly composed Friday afternoon, in light of the turmoil surrounding her dumping longtime brakeman Jen Davidson, Layton, in favor of Gea Johnson. Racine, of Waterford, Mich., teamed with Davidson to win the last two World Cup seasons, but this year the two were battling it out for third place against Bonny Warner of Discovery Bay, Calif.
Finally, about two weeks ago, Racine kicked Davidson off her team and recruited Johnson, of Phoenix, Ariz., who had been Warner's brakeman. The two shone on Friday night.
If they do as well Saturday, they will represent this country in the February Winter Games.
"It's been a crazy past couple of weeks," Racine said after her win. But she said she had about as much tension Friday as "going into any race."
Racine noted that the new partners are meshing well.
"It's true that my confidence is a lot stronger than it has been most of the season," she said.
"I think for most of the season I've been starting a tenth and a half (of a second) back against the Germans . . . at the start," the crucial time when the brakeman must provide a great push.
This was "definitely taking its toll on me. I kind of felt like I'd lost the race before I'd even started. And I feel confident, you know, as a whole again. I feel like we are coming out here with a package that's going to win medals."
Johnson nodded emphatically.
"We're totally excited," Johnson said.
Racine said this thought occurred to her on the team's second, and final, run Friday: "This is my track, and I feel good here."
Johnson related her thoughts during a race: "I just send her good vibes all the way down: 'Drive, Jean! Drive, Jean!' "
Racine and Johnson finished with 1:39.21 for two runs. Second was Park City's Jill Bakken and Vonetta Flowers (Birmingham, Ala.), at 1:39.56. Warner and her new brakeman, Bethany Hart (North Grafton, Mass.), were third at 1:40.36.
Bakken was pleased with her showing. It was "pretty good," she said. "We have to do the same thing tomorrow."
Added Flowers, "We had a good run today, and one more day and we're on the Olympic team."
America is likely to field two teams in women's bobsled, and two each for two- and four-man men's bobsled. But the number could rise, depending on World Cup standings.
In men's bobsled competition, the winner Friday was a team that was already going to the Olympics, Todd Hays, Del Rio, Texas, and Pavle Jonanovic, Toms River, N.J. Because they are on top of the World Cup competition, they have already won a spot.
Hays and Jonanovic won Friday with a total time of 1:37.00 in two runs. Second was four-time Olympian Brian Shimer, Naples, Fla., and Darin Steele, Rock Island, Ill., with 1:37.29.
Third place went to Mike Dionne (Alpharetta, Ga.) and Randy Jones (Winston-Salem, N.C.), at 1:37.68.
E-mail: bau@desnews.com