US Olympian Kaysha Love wins World Cup debut as pilot, prevailing in monobob event

(Left) Olympic Bobsledder Kaysha Love, from Herriman, Utah, when she was at the 2023 Utah Olympic Park World Cup. Photo: Michele Roepke

LA PLAGNE, France — U.S. Olympic bobsledder Kaysha Love won her World Cup driving debut on Saturday, rallying in the second heat to prevail in a women’s monobob event.

Love was fifth after the first heat, then had the fastest time in the second heat. She finished two runs in 2 minutes, 7.92 seconds, or 0.21 seconds better than runner-up Melanie Hasler of Switzerland.

A Utah native and former track standout at UNLV, Love is in her first full season as a World Cup pilot after making the 2022 Olympics as a push athlete with driver Kaillie Humphries. They won three World Cup races together with Love in the push role.

Love drove in six races last season on the North American Cup tour, a mostly developmental circuit — and was last or next-to-last among the finishers of every race. But she had three wins in four NAC races at her home track in Lake Placid, New York, last month, building momentum for the World Cup season.