Britain’s bobsleigh boys believe they can go from flipping their sled at the Olympics to overturning the odds to become world champions.
Last year’s Beijing mishap meant the self-funded team finished amongst the also-rans in both two and four-man events.
Eleven months on Brad Hall’s four-man team heads into Sunday’s European Championships having won two of the last three World Cup events.
It is some transformation and with the Worlds following in St Moritz brakeman Greg Cackett declared: “I really believe we will be world champions in three weeks.”
Britain has not managed that since the 1930s and has never won a European gold in the four-man. But Sunday’s competition is on the Altenberg track in Germany where they triumphed a week ago.
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“Over the last few years we’ve had so many failures and so many times things haven’t gone our way,” said Hall, who was driving the two-man sled which crashed so spectacularly at the Beijing Olympics.
Hall and Taylor Lawrence celebrate two-man silver in Altenberg last weekend (Viesturs Lacis Rekords)
Greg Cackett, Lawrence, Hall and Arran Gulliver win World Cup gold in Lake Placid last month (Viesturs Lacis Rekords)“What that’s done is motivate us to push harder and get what we feel we deserve. Gold in Altenberg is a massive confidence boost. The last non-German team to win a four-man race at this track was 2006.”
Nobody bets against the Germans in this sport. They have the tech and the talent. Until recently the Brits were having to crowdfund their way round the circuit.
But that has bred a steely resolve to go with the undoubted talent of Hall, Cackett, Taylor Lawrence and exciting rookie Arran Gulliver.
Hall and Nick Gleeson overturned sled in two-man bobsleigh at Winter Olympics in Beijing“Other nations have really started to see us as a dominant force in the sport,” said Lawrence, a serving Royal Marine.
“Coming away with medals week after week has made them look at us and think ‘these guys know what they’re doing - they’re serious contenders."
Cackett knows that, for many, bobsleigh and the Hollywood film Cool Runnings are inseparable, but he argues that makes the sport a “perpetual novelty”.
Britain's Fab Four en route to gold in Lake Placid. (above) .and (below) celebrating with their medals (Viesturs Lacis Rekords)
(Viesturs Lacis Rekords)“It is an iconic film and one we all love, but it kind of trivialises the experiences and the commitment, the sacrifices and the talent of the people who actually do the sport,” he added.
“We’re not just a bunch of cowboys trying to stay out of work for as long as possible. We are good at what we do.
“Finally, we are now seeing the fruit of all that labour. We’re winning gold medals and getting used to that.
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Cackett: "We’re not just a bunch of cowboys trying to stay out of work for as long as possible. We are good at what we do" (Viesturs Lacis Rekords)“Bobsleigh’s not always had the most positive press because there’s been loads of problems in the past. But there’s also been crap results.
“People want to get behind success. Gold medals make a difference. We want to give the country something to cheer about.”
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