Airman’s 2-woman sled captures Olympic bronze

American bronze medalists Kaillie Armbruster Humphries, left, and airman Jasmine Jones celebrate at the finish during a two-women bobsled run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Normally, the veteran inspires the rookie.

That’s especially the case when the one is competing in her sixth Winter Olympics, like Team USA’s Kaillie Armbruster Humphries.

Yet the 40-year-old said her younger teammate, Air Force Senior Airman Jasmine Jones, has motivated her not only pursue a family in the past few years but also on the bobsled track.

That bond across generations — Jones is 29 and was 9 years old when Armbruster Humphries qualified for her first Olympic Games — showed on the track at the Cortina Sliding Centre on Saturday evening.

The Americans claimed the bronze medal in the two-woman bobsled in a time of 3 minutes, 49.21 seconds.

The duo held off a challenge from Germany’s Kim Kalicki and Talea Prepens, who finished 0.15 seconds behind at 3:49.36.

Top German team Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi earned gold with a time of 3:48.46. Another German team of Lisa Buckwitz and Neele Schuten received silver with a time of 3:48.99.

Army Spc. Azaria Hill and her pilot, Kaysha Love, finished in the same place they started — fifth (3:49.71).

“Not only is this my sixth medal, but to do it with someone who is just unbelievable like Jasmine and has also gone through it, it’s super cool,” Armbruster Humphries said.

With the victory, Jones became the first airman from the Air Force’s World Class Athlete program to win a Winter Olympic medal.

The former Eastern Michigan track and field athlete said it’s honor.

“This is my way of paying back everything that they allow me to train, allow me to be here as well, and I couldn’t do it without them,” Jones said. “I’m thankful to represent both (the Air Force and USA Bobsled).”

Armbruster Humphries and Jones saw their advantage over Kalicki and Prepens drop to 0.09 seconds after completing the third heat in 57.57 seconds.

The Americans sealed their spot on the podium with a 57.48 final run, which was third best behind the top two German sleds.

“It just goes to show that I trust everything she does and she trusts me and just made it happen,” Jones said.

While they didn’t make the podium, former UNLV teammates Hill and Love kept steady and finished in the same place they started. The duo tied for their American teammates on the third heat with a 57.57-second run, and they followed that with 57.59 on the last heat.

“At the end of our day, I was really proud of our pushes, proud of our runs — those were some of the best runs I’ve had,” Love said. “Azaria and I put everything we had out there, and that’s all you can wish for.”

With Elana Meyers Taylor and Armbruster Humphries in the 40s, Hill, 27, and Love, 28, almost signal a changing of the guard. And Hill said she and her longtime friend are ready to take the mantle heading into 2030.

“This isn’t the last time you’re going to see us,” Hill said. “We are coming back 2030. We’re getting ready.”

Earlier in the day, Army Sgt. Frank Del Duca put together what he considered his best performance on the track at the Cortina Sliding Centre.

But so did everyone else in the men’s four-man event.

Del Duca, Boone Niederhoder, Bryan Sosoo and Joshua Williamson posted a total time of 1:50.02 over the first two heats. That places the American quartet in 12th place, 1:41 back of the leading German sled of Johannes Lochner, Thorsten Margis, Jorn Wenzel and Georg Fleischhauer, which set a track record of 53.91 during the first run.

“I figured out a couple corners. I’d love to have figured it out sooner,” Del Duca said. “I think this is our best result of the year, and it’s a good time to have our best result.”

Del Duca’s squad already is out of medal contention, but the 34-year-old said they have their sights set on a Top 10 place. In 11th are Lativa’s Jekabs Kalenda, Matiss Miknis, Mairis Klava and Edgars Ungurs, just 0.15 seconds ahead. Austria’s Markus Treichl, Markus Sammer, Sascha Stephan and Kristian Huber sit 0.32 seconds ahead in 10th.

“The guys and I are hungry to push fast and drive well and see how many people we can catch (Sunday),” Del Duca said.

Del Duca and teammate Williamson finished fourth Tuesday in the two-man bobsled event.