Elana Meyers Taylor has spent more than a decade chasing the one medal that eluded her. On a cold night in Italy, she finally caught it.
The 41 year old American bobsledder delivered a commanding final push to win gold in the women’s monobob at the 2026 Winter Olympics, securing the only Olympic prize missing from her decorated résumé. Her four run combined time of 3:57.93 sealed a dramatic comeback and etched her name into the record books.
For Meyers Taylor, the victory was more than a podium finish. It was the culmination of years of near misses and relentless pursuit. She entered the Games already owning five Olympic medals across multiple events, yet gold had remained just out of reach. With this win, she not only captured her first Olympic title but also claimed her sixth career medal, becoming the most decorated U.S. female bobsledder in history.
The milestone carries additional historical weight. At 41, she is now the oldest American woman to win a Winter Olympic gold medal, a testament to longevity in a sport defined by speed, strength and split second precision.
The competition itself was fierce. Germany’s Laura Nolte pushed the pace throughout the event to earn silver, while Kaillie Humphries of the United States claimed bronze. The dual podium appearance underscored American depth in the discipline, but the spotlight belonged to Meyers Taylor, whose final runs reflected both composure and urgency.
Monobob, a relatively new Olympic discipline featuring a single athlete navigating the sled alone, demands technical precision and explosive power. There are no teammates to rely on, no margins for shared error. Every push, every steer and every fraction of a second belongs solely to the driver. Meyers Taylor handled that responsibility with the confidence of a veteran and the hunger of a newcomer.
Her journey to this moment has included injuries, fierce international rivalries and the challenge of balancing elite sport with motherhood. Through it all, she remained a consistent presence at the top of the sport, building a legacy defined as much by perseverance as by podiums.
On this stage, perseverance paid off. After years of standing just shy of Olympic gold, Elana Meyers Taylor finally climbed to the top step. And in doing so, she transformed a remarkable career into a historic one.