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Show D-5 Wed/Thurs/Fri, February 21-23, 2018 dest year’ r death of icon Steven Holcomb YNOLDS TED PRESS ing ideas with some, offering advice to others. He was both an athlete and a coach, the driver of USA-1 on the ice and a person who would try to groom others to eventually take that seat. He left Pyeongchang last spring convinced that good things would happen at these Olympics. He had been to three Olympics, won three medals and felt the Americans were well on their way to winning more this year. “You look at what we did, and I’m feeling pretty good about our chances for 2018,” he told The Associated Press after that World Cup ended. Not even two months later, he was gone. Holcomb died on May 6 in his room at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York, with tests later revealing that he was intoxicated and had taken a sleeping aid on the night that he died. The training center is where USA Bobsled and Skeleton has offices and where athletes eat, sleep and train — so it’s impossible for members of those teams to set foot in that building and not be reminded of what happened. “Until you’re on the hill, you don’t re- PARK RECORD FILE PHOTO Steve Holcomb (right) speaks to the public on Main Street during the Park City Olympic and Paralympic Homecoming Parade and Celebration in April of 2014 following the Sochi Olympic Games. ally feel his absence completely,” U.S. push athlete Chris Fogt said. breeze. So I’ll always have that in my memory.” The way they see it, that’s the only appropriate tribute left. Fogt got a reminder this fall of how influential Holcomb was on this team. Holcomb’s input was sought by those who make the ice at the Mount Van Hoevenberg track that the team calls home in Lake Placid. He’d look at the ice each fall, the way it coated every curve and tell the icemakers a little more here, a little less there. Olsen, Cunningham and Olympic rookie Codie Bascue all are accomplished drivers. None of them can be Holcomb, and none of them is trying to be. “A year ago when we were here, we had four pilots here. And three of us are here now,” Olsen said. “But I think Steve lives on in a beneficial way in my life and it’s the same with the other pilots and the brakemen. And as he should. He was influential to everybody. There’s no sense in being sad. That’s not going to help. We’ve got to go on.” It doesn’t seem like much, but that recommendation was invaluable. Here’s what they are doing: taking the lessons he taught, taking the example he set, and trying to apply that to their own driving and approach to these Olympics. “I crashed there this fall,” Fogt said. “Never crashed in Lake Placid before. Holcomb even made the ice better.” Olympic rookie Sam McGuffie tells the story of how if it wasn’t for Holcomb, he probably wouldn’t be in Pyeongchang; Holcomb pulled him onto USA-1 a couple years ago, which means McGuffie got a stipend that made it possible for him to stay in sliding. KagenMD MEDICAL CONCIERGE Michael Kagen, MD Internal Medicine Dr. Michael Kagen, MD is a boardcertified Internal Medicine physician offering concierge medical care. Steven Langton, the most decorated push athlete in U.S. Olympic history, says he still believes Holcomb was the best driver in the world. Meyers Taylor, a gold-medal contender, knows he raised her game. PARK RECORD FILE PHOTO BY TANZI PROPST dent and an icon in the sport who died unex- Are you ready for concierge care? “One of my last track walks here was with him and we weren’t even talking about the track,” Meyers Taylor said. “We were talking about so many other things. We were both pretty comfortable, just talking and shooting the PYEONGCHANG COMMEMORATIVE PINS Call Dr. Kagen at (435) 633 - 6263 to begin the conversation. 2018 4580 Silver Springs Dr. Park City UT 84098 HOW TO GET YOUR PINS: Buy Online! GET THE FULL SET OF 3 PINS AT PARKRECORD.COM/PINS from The PARK RECORD & Our OTHER PAPERS The ASPEN TIMES & The VAIL DAILY Buy In Person! GET ONLY THE PARK RECORD PIN IN OUR OFFICE AT 1670 BONANZA DR. Subscribe! CALL 435.649.9014 & GET A FREE PIN WITH A NEW PARK RECORD SUBSCRIPTION Dr. Kagen volunteers as team physician for the US Speedskating team! KagenMD.com ǀ (435) 633 - 6263 |