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Home : Features : 2014 : Winter Olympics

Meet the Athletes

#### Sgt. Nicholas Cunningham

Event: Bobsled | Hometown: Monterey, California | Age: 27

Army Sgt. Nick Cunningham, with the Army National Guard's 1156th Engineer Company (Vertical), claims to be the "walking epitome of going outside the box." He took up bobsled to settle a dare by his parents, who he said never seriously thought he would give it a try. The California high school football and track star, who rode bulls for fun at Boise State University, proved his folks wrong by making Team USA in 2008 and competing at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. In Sochi, he is scheduled to drive the USA-2 bobsled with teammates Army Sgts. Justin Olsen and Dallas Robinson as well as civilian Johnny Quinn aboard. Cunningham also will drive USA-2 in the two-man event.

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#### 1st Lt. Michael Kohn

Event: World Cup Bobsled Coach | Hometown: Myrtle Beach, SC | Age: 41

Army 1st Lt. Mike Kohn, of the Virginia Army National Guard's 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, is a two-time Olympic competitor who won a bronze medal in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.

He placed third in the four-man and two-man bobsled events of the 2009 America's Cup. Kohn started his bobsled career in 1991, where he was the youngest bobsled competitor during the trials for the 1992 U.S. Winter Olympic team.

Kohn retired from racing following the 2010 Olympic Games and is now an assistant coach for the Team USA bobsled team. The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, will be his first Olympic Games appearance as a coach.

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#### Sgt. Matthew Mortensen

Event: Luge | Hometown: Huntington Station, New York | Age: 28

Army Sgt. Matt Mortensen began competing in luge at age 12 and has been a member of U.S. national teams since age 15. He was nominated for the 2014 U.S. Olympic luge team just three days after his 28th birthday. Mortensen is scheduled to compete in the luge doubles event at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games with teammate Army Sgt. Preston Griffall. They also hope to compete in the team relay, an event that will make its Olympic debut in the upcoming games.

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#### Sgt. Dallas Robinson

Event: Bobsled | Hometown: Georgetown, Kentucky | Age: 31

Army Sgt. Dallas Robinson, of the Kentucky Army National Guard, seemingly came out of nowhere to earn a spot on the 2014 U.S. Olympic bobsled team. He came from tiny Berea College in Berea, Ky., where he was coaching track and field.

After injuries helped derail his quests to make Team USA in both track and rugby, Robinson followed one of his protégés to Park City, Utah, where he immediately got hooked on bobsledding.

"With the wife's permission of course, I decided I would commit to the sport full time," Robinson said. He said he likes the camaraderie between his teammates and the other nations.

Four years later, Robinson is a Soldier pushing the USA-2 four-man sled with teammates Army Sgts. Nick Cunningham, Justin Olsen as well as civilian Johnny Quinn. He may also compete in the two-man event.

"Words cannot explain what it feels like to wear and compete in a USA uniform." said Sgt. Dallas Robinson.

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#### Sgt. 1st Class Tuffield "Tuffy" Latour

Event: Skeleton Coach | Hometown: Saranac Lake, New York | Age: 45

Four-time Olympic coach Sgt. 1st Class Tuffield "Tuffy" Latour is back with Team USA after a stint with the Canadian national team. His relationship with the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program began as bobsled pilot who finished ninth at the 1995 World Championships. He coached the U.S. women's bobsled team to silver medals at the World Championships in 2000 and 2001, and gold at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. He coached the U.S. men to silver and bronze medals at the World Championships in 2003 and '04. He led Canada's women to gold and silver medals at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, and the four-man squad to bronze. His grandfather, Tuffield Latour, was a five-time U.S. national champion in two-man bobsled who finished ninth at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

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#### Sgt. Justin Olsen

Event: Bobsled | Hometown: San Antonio, Texas | Age: 26

Army Sgt. Justin Olsen, with the Army National Guard, won the Gold medal in the four-man bobsled event in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Olsen began competing in the sport of bobsled in 2007, and made the World Cup team in his first season. For the 2008 season Olsen won two sliver and two bronze medals in the first half of the World Cup tour. He then went on to a first place finish at the 2009 National Championships for four-man and a silver medal at the inaugural World Cup in Whistler, Canada. In the 2012 World Championships, Olsen again won gold.

Olsen is slotted to compete in the four-man bobsled team in the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

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#### Staff Sgt. William Tavares

Event: Luge (Coach) | Hometown: Lake Placid, New York | Age: 50

Army Staff Sgt. Bill Tavares has coached U.S. bobsled and luge athletes to more than 100 medals in numerous World Cup and World Championship events. This will be his sixth Olympics, including a ninth-place finish as a luge doubles competitor in 1992 and four trips to the games as a bobsled coach.

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#### Sgt. Preston Griffall

Event: Bobsled | Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah | Age: 27

Having competed in the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, Army Sgt. Preston Griffall returns to compete on Team USA for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

Griffall missed out on making the team for the 2010 Olympic Games by hundredths of a second, but bounced back and in 2013, took silver at the World Cup in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Griffall is slotted to compete in luge doubles with teammate Army Sgt. Matt Mortensen. They also hope to compete in the team relay, an event that will make its Olympic debut in Russia.

Related Links

                            -  2014 Winter Olympics on Defense.gov   
                            -  U.S. Army's World Class Athlete Program   
                            -  U.S. Army's World Class Athlete Program on Flickr   

Related Articles

                            -  Army NCO Prepares for Sochi Luge Competition   

 

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