Youth bobsled skeleton program gains national designation

The International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation has decided to start the 2022-23 season with three stops in the U.S. and Canada before the Christmas break. Photo: Michele Roepke

PARK CITY, Utah – The USA Bobsled Skeleton Foundation (USABS) announced today that the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation‘s (UOLF) skeleton and bobsled program at the Utah Olympic Park has been designated as an official USABS Development Club.

“The recognized USABS Development Club will be a vital resource for us as we look to increase the feeder system that leads into our national team pipeline,” said Aron McGuire, USABS Chief Executive Officer in a statement. “The Utah Olympic Park is one of only two sliding venues in the U.S., and we are looking forward to providing additional training opportunities for our athletes as they enter the sports and vie for a spot on the team.”

Kids can participate in the Utah Olympic Park bobsled and skeleton club as young as age 12. UOLF also has scholarship programs available for underprivileged and underserved communities.

“Our focus is to get kids exposed to something new and in their backyard,” said Valerie Fleming in a statement, the Utah Olympic Park Program Manager and a 2006 Olympic silver medalist in women’s bobsled.

One of the athletes to come through the Utah program is Kendall Wesenberg. Wesenberg was invited to a driving school after taking a combine test in Park City, and she went on to become a 2018 Olympian.

As host of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, International Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cup races, North American Cup races, and USA team trials competitions, the UOLF has a successful history of supporting bobsled and skeleton. The USABS Development Club will support both bobsled and skeleton athletes training in Park City and will provide a minimum of 10 weeks of sliding programming annually. The UOLF will have a coach in place that will work with USABS coaches and staff to host combine tests, development camps, and push camps throughout each season.

“The partnership between USA Bobsled and Skeleton and Utah Olympic Park will help facilitate the growth of sliding sports in the Intermountain West,” said Calum Clark, Chief Operating Officer of the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation in a statement. “We are looking forward to furthering the development of a seamless connection between our training programs and USABS.”