John Napier (bobsleigh)

John Napier

Napier in 2010
Personal information
Birth name John Napier
Nationality American
Born December 12, 1986
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Sport
Sport Bobsleigh
Event(s) Two-man, Four-man
Coached by William Tavares

John Napier (born December 12, 1986) is an American bobsled driver and a soldier in the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program. He won the two-man event at the 2009 U.S. National Bobsled Championships with Cory Butner.[1] At the 2009 FIBT World Championships, he placed 17th in the two-man event with T.J. Burns[2] and 11th in the four-man event with Jesse Beckom, Jamie Moriarty, and Nick Cunningham.[3]

At the 2009–10 Bobsleigh World Cup event in Lake Placid, New York, he won the two-man event with Charles Berkeley[4] and the silver medal in the four-man event with Jamie Moriarty, Steven Langton, and Christopher Fogt

Napier began competing in 1994 and became a member of the U.S. national team in 2002. His parents were both bobsledders; his father, William Napier, was a former president of the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation.[5] Napier enlisted in the Vermont Army National Guard in June 2007 and joined the World Class Athlete Program in May, 2008.

It was announced on January 17, 2010 that he made the US team in the two-man and four-man events for the 2010 Winter Olympics. He finished tenth in the two-man event while crashing out in the four-man event.

Shortly after competing in the Olympics John Napier spent 6 months in the Paktika Province of Afghanistan fighting with the US Army 3-172 Infantry battalion in 2010.

References

  1. ↑ Hipps, Tim (January 7, 2009). "Napier survives wild ride to win U.S. Bobsled Championship". FMWRC Public Affairs. Retrieved November 2, 2009.
  2. ↑ "FIBT World Championships 2009 bobsleigh two-man results". Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing. Retrieved November 2, 2009.
  3. ↑ "FIBT World Championships 2009 bobsleigh four-man results". Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing. Retrieved November 2, 2009.
  4. ↑ FIBT World Cup Lake Placid: bobsleigh two-man results. November 21, 2009. Accessed November 21, 2009.
  5. ↑ McGUIRE, MARK (October 23, 2009). "Slider plans to serve his country twice". Times Union. Retrieved November 2, 2009.