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Elana Meyers Taylor wins Olympic monobob gold at 41

Kagi News | 2026-02-16 21:24 UTC | source

🥇 Elana Meyers Taylor of the United States won the women’s monobob at the Milan/Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Monday, earning the first Olympic gold of her career at age 41 234. Her four-run total held up when Germany’s Laura Nolte—sliding last—couldn’t beat it in the final run, setting up a late, made-for-TV showdown on the sliding track in Cortina 234.

The win landed on several historic markers: Meyers Taylor became the oldest American woman to win a Winter Olympic gold, collected her sixth career Winter Olympic medal (tying Bonnie Blair for the most by a U.S. woman), and added to her standing as the most decorated Black athlete in Winter Olympic history 34. The moment also felt deeply personal—she celebrated with her children after years of near-misses, a reminder that persistence can still pay off, even late in a career 23.

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
Elana Meyers Taylor competes in the women’s monobob at Milano Cortina 2026.
Elana Meyers Taylor competes in the women’s monobob at Milano Cortina 2026. — The Guardian

Sources

  1. USA’s Elana Meyers Taylor storms monobob to win first Olympic gold at age 41 - The Guardian [google.com] (2026-02-16)
  2. US Meyers Taylor gets Olympic gold at last in women's monobob [yahoo.com] (2026-02-17)
  3. Gold for Elana! Meyers Taylor, 41, wins Olympic monobob title at Milan Cortina Games [chicagotribune.com] (2026-02-16)
  4. USA’s Elana Meyers Taylor storms monobob to win first Olympic gold at age 41 [theguardian.com] (2026-02-16)
  5. Winter Olympics 2026: Elana Meyers Taylor wins monobob gold for USA; Canada’s Oldham lands freeski big air crown – as it happened [theguardian.com] (2026-02-16)

Highlights

  1. Meyers Taylor surged in the fourth and final heat to take the lead, then had to wait for the last sled to finish 3.
  2. When the result became official, she dropped to her knees in tears—then celebrated with her children 23.
  3. Nolte started the final run with the advantage, but early mistakes on her last trip down the track opened the door for Meyers Taylor 32.
  4. The Chicago Tribune noted that Meyers Taylor had already become the oldest woman to win an Olympic bobsled medal before adding gold to her résumé 3.
Action from Winter Olympics competition day coverage in Cortina.
Action from Winter Olympics competition day coverage in Cortina. — The Guardian

Perspectives

Elana Meyers Taylor: She said the gold took time to feel real, and she credited the people who stood by her when she doubted it was possible.

Laura Nolte: As the last competitor down the track, she couldn’t find the final run she needed to move ahead of Meyers Taylor and settled for silver.

Chicago Tribune account: The report underscored Meyers Taylor’s long résumé—World Cups, world titles, and post-motherhood comebacks—casting this gold as the missing piece in an already decorated career.

Historical Background

Monobob is a relatively new Olympic discipline, debuting at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games [common]. Meyers Taylor first competed at the Olympics in Vancouver 2010 and arrived in 2026 with five Olympic medals (three silver, two bronze) across the monobob and two-woman bobsleigh before finally breaking through for gold 43.

Performance Statistics