Monobob is one of the seven newsports at the BeijingWinter Olympics .- American Kaillie Humphries is the reigning world champion.
The Winter Olympics found a new way to go down an icy mountain at scary speeds, and this event is only for women.
Monobob is one of seven new sports at the Beijing Winter Olympics and was added to increase women's participation in bobsleigh events. The monobob joins the 2-woman event, giving women two bobsleigh events, and the men have 2-man and 4-man events.
The biggest difference in monobob is that the lone athlete is now responsible for pushing, steering, and braking for the sleigh. In the 2-person and 4-person events, those responsibilities are divided among the teammates.
Those tasks become even more daunting when you realize that a monobob sled (365 pounds; 165 kg) weighs only ten pounds less than a 2-person sled, according to Team USA.
That weight means some scary speeds coming down the ice and G-forces that can reach 4-5 around corners.
During the 2021 World Championships, American Kaillie Humphries reached speeds of 117 kmh (73 mph)
One of the benefits of monobob for the athletes is that they no longer have to depend on teammates or fear letting them down.
"If I crash, it's just me," said Jazmine Fenlator-Victorian of Jamaica. "There's not the concern that there is in two-woman, when you're responsible for the other person as a pilot. Every time you take a small tap, you're like 'I'm so sorry,' but when you're alone, you just brush it off."
Driving a monobob is pretty straightforward. Inside the sled are two "D-rings" attached to the front ski-like runners. If you want to turn right, you pull back on the right D-ring, and if you want to turn left, you pull on the left one.
The monobob also gives Team USA another shot at a gold medal as Humphries is one of the favorites, having won the gold in the first monobob world championship in 2021. American Elana Meyers Taylor also who won the overall World Monobob Series in 2021-22.
Both Americans have medaled in the last three Winter Olympics in the two-woman events. Humphries won gold in 2010 and 2014 representing Canada.