Sliding Their Way to Gold
Photography: Amanda Bird
Steve Holcomb — Bobsled
A 1997 graduate of Park City’s Winter Sports School, local Steve Holcomb began bobsledding in 1998. In 2009, Steve became the first American to win a four-man World Championship in 50 years. Last season, he took gold in both four-man races at Utah Olympic Park. In 2006/2007, Steve also claimed both the two-man and combined World Cup titles after winning ten medals on the tour, five each in two-man and four-man events. Holcomb was an alternate for the 2002 Olympic team, was a fore-runner in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games and came back to compete in the 2006 Torino Games. Driving both two-man and four-man sleds in Torino, Holcomb finished sixth in the four-man and 14th in the two-man. Steve is enrolled in the computer science program in the University of Phoenix’s online program, and has served seven years in the Utah National Guard. Go Steve!
Noelle Pikus-Pace — Skeleton
Though Provo native Noelle received a full scholarship to the University of Utah for track and field and then attended Utah Valley State College, where she broke the college high jump record and was a national discus champion, she also qualified for the World Cup skeleton team in 2002. She finished 14th in the world on the 2003/2004 World Cup tour. In 2005, she went on to win her first World Cup gold medal in Germany and continued on to win a total of three golds, two silvers and a bronze. In doing so, she became the first American woman ever to win the Overall World Cup title in skeleton. She was a favorite to win gold at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, but in October 2005 was hit by a runaway bobsled and sustained a compound fracture of her right leg. Though she recovered quickly, she barely missed qualifying for the Olympics. After graduating with a B.A. from Utah Valley University and an MBA from Colorado Technical University and having a baby girl with her husband Janson, Noelle is back on the circuit!
Zach Lund — Skeleton
A Salt Lake City native, Zach grew up skiing at Alta Ski Resort, where his parents owned a day care center and his father was the Deputy Sheriff. When Zach’s mom died of skin cancer when he was 15, Zach took her encouraging words to follow his dreams to heart and decided to become an Olympian and a pilot. Zach is currently studying aviation at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, and has his eyes set on medaling in the 2010 Vancouver Games. In the 2004/2005 winter season, Zach finished fifth in the overall standings and fifth at the World Championships.
But in 2006, Zach was temporarily suspended for testing positive for Finasteride, which has been known to mask certain performance-enhancing drugs. Zach explained that he had been using a hair restoration drug (that contains Finasteride) since he was 19, and by the eve of the Opening Ceremonies for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, the U.S. Olympic Committee announced that Zach was not, in fact, a cheater, but had made an honest, harmless mistake. Because of the way the rules were written, however, he had to receive a one-year suspension and miss the Olympics. The court also went on to state that the Anti-Doping Agencies had failed Zach as an athlete. Zach is now back on track with the Olympic dream more alive than ever.
Shauna Rohbock — Bobsled
A graduate of Brigham Young University, Shauna began the sport of bobsled in 1999 as a brakewoman before moving into the driver’s seat in 2002. She was named to the 2006 Olympic team and capped off a successful season by winning a silver medal with brakewoman Valerie Fleming. She finished the 2006/2007 season with seven World Cup medals and ranked second overall in World Cup standings. She continued to slide well, earning a silver and two bronze medals during the 2007/ 2008 season. During the 2008/2009 season, she won a medal of each color and claimed gold at the World Cup race in Whistler, site of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Shauna also won silver at the 2009 World Championships and is ranked 3rd overall in FIBT women’s bobsled rankings. Shauna played professional soccer for the San Diego Spirit and has been a member of the Utah Army National Guard since 2000.
Nick Pearson — Speedskating
The past three chances at an Olympic medal have eluded Parkite Nick Pearson, but he’s back for a fourth time and looking to rewrite his history in 2010.
Nick started speed skating at 5 years old in Wisconsin and always dreamed of skating in the Olympics. In 1998, just before the Olympic Trials for the Nagano Games, Nick was diagnosed with mononucleosis. He was unsuccessful at qualifying and his Olympic dream was postponed for four years. In 2002, a healthy and determined Nick made the U.S. Olympic Team and competed in the Salt Lake Games placing sixth in both the 1500m and 1000m races. Finishing just a few tenths of a second off the medal-winning pace in both races, Nick was determined to return to the Games in 2006 and stake his place on the podium. Unfortunately, Nick missed qualifying for the Olympic team in 2006 and knew he must evaluate what he was doing wrong and make the necessary changes. He is determined to use the disappointing season as inspiration for the future.
“I now know I have a chance of winning Olympic gold. I was given everything I need to become the best in the world and now it’s all up to me,” says Nick.
Preston Griffal — Luge
Salt Lake City native Preston Griffal has been working his way up the ranks of the luge world for a while. He was the 2002 Verizon U.S. Junior National Championship silver medalist; the 2003 Verizon U.S. Junior National Champion; finished fifth in the 2004 Junior World Championships, and was overall Junior World Cup doubles champion in 2005 and two-time overall silver medalist in 2003 and 2004.
His 2007/2008 World Cup results ranged from 8th to 14th and he finished 11th in the overall 2008 World Cup rankings. He loves surfing, mountain biking and golf and can be seen practicing at the Utah Olympic Park. Let’s cheer him on in February!
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