Aussies Jana Pittman

[STFU Donnie]

Is anybody half-expecting her to fall over and then become the sob story (whingefest) of the Games? It would be in keeping with her career.

 

[ANGEL DARK]

Shes got next to no chance of winning a medal but good on her for having a go. I dont think she will have much to whinge about especially when shes not expected to do that well

 

[Wallaby]

It's a bit of an odd situation. I can understand the bobsled driver wanting a top sprinter to be the pusher - that's long been a staple of the sport. The americans have used ex-Olympians for years, as have many other countries. It doesn't sound like it's necessarily all that complicated or requiring a unique skill set.

Having said that, Pittman is a curious 'choice'. She's well past her best, was a 400 hurdler rather than a sprinter (her best time ever over the 100 was 11.94 when she was 19 - there are plenty of female sprinters who could easily beat that. I suppose Pittman is big and strong.

It looks to me like the bobsled federation needed some money, and Pittman was the best chance of them getting a bit of publicity and cash. A sprinter with a lower profile wouldn't attract the dollars, and probably nobody else is attracted by the prospect of committing to a year or so of that sort of training with basically no hope of any real recognition - (oh sure, they'll make the Olympic 'sympathy' division along with the Jamaicans, Iraqis and Easter Islanders).

It's unfortunate and not Pittman's fault - but that's how the game is played. So, yes, I'm expecting to see a New Idea Exclusive soon..................

 

[Cleavy]

it's a conundrum. want her to stuff up and fail, but don't want her team-mate to cop it.

 

[robbieando]

Basically in the need to raise funds for new sleds for the Olympics they needed to host fundraising events with a public speaker that a) had a great story that people wanted to pay to listen to and b) they didn't have to pay for. So in getting Jana Pittman to take up the event it got them a high profile public speaker and two new sleds. Sweet deal for both sides really.

Better than the US team who selected Lolo Jones who was the 100m hurdler that fell in the final of the 2008 Olympics when she was the overwhelming favourite and finish 4th in 2012 after being NBC's female face of the games. Now Lolo is the brake women in the number 1 sled for the US after being considered the 3rd best brake on the team and has faced calls that her selections was influenced by NBC so they have a female athlete to promote around for a medal.

 

[ben.carbonaro]

it's a conundrum. want her to stuff up and fail, but don't want her team-mate to cop it.

That's a bit mean spirited.

 

[Dan Cooper]

It's a bit of an odd situation. I can understand the bobsled driver wanting a top sprinter to be the pusher - that's long been a staple of the sport. The americans have used ex-Olympians for years, as have many other countries. It doesn't sound like it's necessarily all that complicated or requiring a unique skill set.
...

Lolo Jones is also there as a pusher >

 

[caveman72]

Hope she does well. Half expecting Tamsyn Lewis to jump out and try to do a tonya harding

 

[dart]

it's gotta beat working for a living

 

[Caesar]

Having said that, Pittman is a curious 'choice'. She's well past her best, was a 400 hurdler rather than a sprinter (her best time ever over the 100 was 11.94 when she was 19 - there are plenty of female sprinters who could easily beat that. I suppose Pittman is big and strong.

Hurdlers are a good choice for bobsled because they have very quick acceleration. A hurdler is required to get up to top speed very quickly after the start, and then reaccelerate between every pair of hurdles (they lose velocity whilst in the air).

I would wager a guess that (like most top hurdlers) Pittman's 40 yard dash time is very good, and the reason she has a relatively ordinary 100m time is she doesn't have a very fast maximum velocity. That sort of handicap is not hugely relevant to pushing a bobsled over 30m.

 

[blaze036]

Why is the bobsled even an event, so easy to get into..

 

[ben.carbonaro]

it's gotta beat working for a living

Depends who you ask.

 

[Damon_3388]

Why is the bobsled even an event, so easy to get into..

Go on then...

 

[catman 71]

Shes got next to no chance of winning a medal but good on her for having a go. I dont think she will have much to whinge about especially when shes not expected to do that well

Going from being a runner to a bobsledder reminds me of the movie "Cool Runnings", except that she isn't Jamacian.