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Bobsled's dynamic duo splitting
By Joe Bauman
Deseret News staff writer
One week before the start of Olympic trials, the most renowned women's bobsled team in history — Jean Racine and Jen Davidson — has broken up.
Racine, of Waterford, Mich., kicked out her long-time brakeman and friend, Davidson, who lives in Layton. She replaced her with Gea Johnson of Phoenix, Ariz., who had been brakeman for her top rival this season, Bonny Warner.
Davidson, 29, was born in Ogden, ran in track for Utah State University, and trains regularly at Weber State University, Ogden.
Racine and Davidson won the World Cup, the most prestigious race series in bobsledding, the past two seasons. But they have been sagging this season, coming in 11th in one World Cup race.
The best Racine scored so far in this 2001-02 World Cup was the silver medal, and she won that the only time that she replaced Davidson. That was the Nov. 18 race in Konigssee, Germany, when Bethany Hart served as brakeman.
Not only is it a bombshell in the world of bobsled, it is also a major glitch in a high-powered campaign of publicity and endorsements featuring Racine and Davidson.
"The Olympics are a month and a half away, and this is probably like one of the hardest things I've ever had to do," Racine told the Deseret News on Friday. "Jen's my best friend."
The paper interviewed Racine and Davidson by telephone, reaching them in Calgary, Canada, where World Cup competition resumes this weekend. Racine explained her decision, while Davidson admitted to be "devastated."
With most of the World Cup season finished for women's bobsled, the team of Racine and Davidson was tied for third place with with Warner, of Discovery Bay, Calif., and Johnson.
Two German teams, piloted by Sandra Prokoff and Susi-Lisa Erdmann, were tied for first.
According to Racine, she and Davidson "had some troubles at the start for the past season, and, you know, we were putting on a fourth-place performance pretty much." The stronger, larger brakeman had much of the responsibility for the explosive start that the bobsled needs to be competitive.
Racine emphasized that she is the one in charge of her team.
"I knew that I had to make some changes, and I have an opportunity to win . . . hopefully, a gold medal in the Olympics." She feels the switch is best not only for the team, but for the country's chances in the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Games.
"I didn't make this decision until I knew this was the way I had to go."
Racine said push competitions were held two days ago, and Johnson dominated the field. "I knew I had to have her in my sled," she said. Racine decided to make the switch on Thursday.
She believes she and Johnson can be compatible. "She's a very serious athlete. She's out there to get the job done, and that's exactly what I'm trying to do."
Asked how Davidson was taking the change, Racine replied, "This is a really hard time for both of us. We've been sliding together for three years. But I think she's going to be okay."
A distraught Davidson told the Deseret News in a telephone interview that she was crushed by the switch and no longer considers Racine her friend.
"Obviously, I'm pretty devastated about it," she said. "I was caught completely off-guard."
Asked about Racine's saying they were best friends, Davidson replied, "I can't continue our friendship with someone who's deceived and betrayed me this entire season. That's not the way I consider friends treat each other."
She has talked with Warner about joining her bobsled team, Davidson added. "She hasn't promised me anything at this point. I would like a chance to get on her sled. . . . Right now, I don't have a driver."
Warner's publicist, Becky Matanic, said in Friday email to the Deseret News that "Bonny will slide with the fastest brakeman available, which could be Jen."
The Racine-Davidson team benefited from polished publicity efforts and sports-marketing coups. Among the highest-profile event was a trip to the White House in November, when they joined sprinter Maurice Greene in presenting a U.S. Olympic blazer to President Bush.
Recently they landed an endorsement that featured them on Kelloggs' Mini-Wheats and Crispix cereal.
The boxes are displayed on the Internet site set up to promote them, "bobsledgirls." The location is bobsledgirl.com.
The site lauds their marketability: "Because Jean & Jen are so well-rounded, articulate and charming, they are ideal for entertaining existing and potential clients in a corporate hospitality setting. Having these World Cup champions attend a function would add a real VIP feeling to the entire affair."
One national magazine dubbed Racine and Davidson the "bobsled hotties." A photo posted on the bobsledgirls site shows the pair with expressions sultry enough to melt the ice a bobsled run, wearing fluffy coats and showing leg — a lot of leg.
E-MAIL: bau@desnews.com
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December 14, 2001
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