Experienced sports journalist Richard Deitsch provides a global perspective on the Winter Olympics.
Elana Meyers Taylor and Kaillie Humphries Armbruster, both mothers in their forties, both iconic figures in their sport, poured their hearts into competing against Germany’s Laura Nolte in the women’s monobob event in 2025.
“The power of motherhood from the U.S.” remarked CBC broadcaster Helen Upperton just before the American athletes commenced their final run.
In this intense showdown, you had the 27-year-old Nolte, the reigning World Cup monobob champion symbolizing the present and future of the discipline. Meyers Taylor, aged 41, boasting five Olympic medals across five Games but no golds. And Humphries Armbruster, aged 40, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and the reigning Olympic champion.
Monobob is a thrilling spectacle, with fearless athletes steering an elongated, aerodynamic sled on the ice of the Cortina Sliding Centre, reaching speeds of up to 126 kilometers per hour. Their training regimen combines elements of sprinting and weightlifting, a remarkable blend.
If you are a devoted Winter Olympics enthusiast, chances are you are familiar with Meyers Taylor. What may come as a surprise is that both of her sons, Nico and Noah, have special needs, with both being deaf and Nico also having Down syndrome. As a prominent advocate for individuals with disabilities, she is truly an inspirational figure.
Throughout the four-heat competition, Nolte maintained her lead, although Meyers Taylor closed the gap to a mere 0.15 seconds after the third run. Both Americans recorded the fastest third lap time (59.08), but Nolte was expected to secure her first Olympic gold.
Germany’s Laura Nolte was in first place through all three heats, until the fourth and final heat when she lost out to American Elana Meyers Taylor for the gold medal at Milano Cortina 2026.</