BOBSLEIGH: Australia’s one and only female bobsleigh pilot, Astrid Radjenovic, is muscling up to compete at her third Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. With just four months to go to the start of the event, determining the brakewoman and qualification are two major details to be decided.

Describing the sport as “something of a mix between formula one racing and a hundred metre sprint”, Radjenovic relishes the power, technical and adrenalin aspects of bobsleigh. 

“There are so many little things that go into every hundredth of a second in bobsleigh,” she said. “It is so much more than just pushing off and sitting in the sled. Every corner has tiny little steers and the timing and the amount is so intricate.”

The 31-year-old has left the sunburnt country, bound for the winter resorts in the northern hemisphere. Her departure followed the first of four push tests to decide who would pair with her as brakewoman in the two-man bobsleigh for the Olympic Winter Games.

“This was the initial selection test to pick the World Cup squad,” Radjenovic said at the conclusion of the event in Sydney last month, which was contested by Jamie Hedge, Ebony Gorincu and Summer Olympian Jana Pittman.

“The girls had to push over 30 metres with the sled and we gave them points based on the split times,” she said.
 “We also gave them scores from a range of athletic tests, including sprinting, jumping and shot put. These combined with weightlifting rank them out of 1000 points and determine for the season which are our best athletes.”
The next three push tests will be conducted on ice on a bobsleigh track with Radjenovic in the steering seat.

“We are doing the first one in Park City in Utah in November,” she said. “We will do the second one in Lake Placid in the US in December and then the final one in January in Austria.”

While determining who the brakewoman will be, Radjenovic must also ensure she earns enough points during the season to be in the Top 40 women on the FIBT ranking list to secure her spot at the Sochi Games.

“It is the pilot who earns the quota place for the Olympic Games, based on points earned at the World Cups, European Cups and North American Cups during the 2013 and 2014 season,” she said. 

The first World Cup kicks off in Calgary in November.” 

The squad will compete in a few lower tier races, such as the North Americas Cup in Park City to warm up for the World Cup races. They then tour North America for another three weeks before heading to Europe for the World Cups.

The Sydney born, Brisbane resident, made history in 2006 in Torino, Italy when alongside teammate Kylie Reed, she piloted the first Australian women’s bobsleigh at an Olympic Games. The pair finished in 14th place.

In 2010 following a successful appeal by the Australian Olympic Committee  to secure her spot at the Vancouver Olympic Games, Radjenovic and teammate Cecilia McIntosh finished in 19th position.

Radjenovic should know on 19 January 2014 whether she will compete at her third Olympic Winter Games when the FIBT release the season ranking list. Her goal is to finish in the top six in Sochi.

Frances Cordaro
olympics.com.au
@AUSOlympicTeam