Elana Meyers and Lauryn Williams
America has medaled in the women’s two-person bobsleigh competition, with the victory going to black athletes Elana Meyers and Lauryn Williams, who won the silver medal. Meyers is a Douglasville, Ga., native, while Lauryn Williams was raised in Detroit. The U.S. team missed first place behind Canada by 10/100ths of a second.
Meyers has consistently placed in the top rankings in international bobsleigh competitions winning a bronze medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics, and placed second in the 2013 FIBT World Championship. The decision to place Williams in the two-person event came as a surprise. Williams is a track star who won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London in the 4×100 relay, and she won a silver medal in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece in the 100 meters.
The silver medal gives both Meyers and Williams a U.S. Olympic Committee prize of $15,000. Not only is this money going to be taxed by the U.S. government but the weight of the silver in the medal will be taxed as well.
Whether they win or lose black Olympians always have a special place in the heart of black America. They represent the best of the best of our race and serve as a powerful light of excellence for our youth.
