Elana Meyers Taylor Wins Gold, Ties Team USA Record

Elana Meyers Taylor won her first Olympic gold medal by just four hundredths of a second, and the wait made the victory even sweeter.

The American bobsledder claimed the top spot in the women's monobob competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy on Monday. Her final time of 3:57.93 barely edged out Germany's Laura Nolte, who finished at 3:57.97.

Meyers Taylor and her teammate Kaillie Humphries held their breath at the finish line as Nolte completed her run. When the German's time flashed on the scoreboard, the celebration began.

The gold medal caps a remarkable Olympic journey for Meyers Taylor. She had come agonizingly close to the top of the podium three times before, earning silver medals in 2022 Beijing (monobob), 2018 (two-woman bobsled), and 2014 (two-woman bobsled).

This victory also earned her a bronze medal in 2010, giving her six Olympic medals total. That ties her with speed skater Bonnie Blair as the most decorated female Winter Olympian in Team USA history.

Humphries, who won gold in Beijing 2022, took home the bronze medal with a time of 3:58.05. The double podium finish gave Team USA two more medals during a challenging Winter Games.

Why This Inspires

Meyers Taylor's story proves that persistence pays off. After 16 years of Olympic competition and three heartbreaking silver medal finishes, she never gave up on her dream of gold.

Her journey shows that success isn't always immediate. Sometimes the most meaningful victories come after years of falling short, learning, and pushing forward despite disappointment.

At an age when many athletes have retired, Meyers Taylor continued competing at the highest level. She believed in herself when it would have been easier to walk away.

Now she stands alongside one of America's greatest Winter Olympians, tied for the most medals ever won by a female American athlete at the Winter Games. That achievement extends beyond one race or one medal.

Meyers Taylor can finally call herself an Olympic gold medalist, a title she earned through dedication, resilience, and refusing to let near-misses define her career.