STEVE MESLER OF TEAM USA MEN'S BOBSLED!

Steve Mesler
Team USA Bobsled
(Photo: Charlie Booker & USBSF)

The Internet--of all places--is a curious place to discover a sport as daunting as bobsledding. But that is where push athlete Steve Mesler found the sport after graduating from college. Although his academic pursuits had concluded, Mesler wasn't ready to end his athletic career. In previous installments, we profiled driver Steve Holcomb (Park City, Utah) and Curt Tomasevicz (Shelby, Nebraska). Today we take a look at the third push athlete of the "Night Train"--the four-man Team USA number 1 bobsled.

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STEVE MESLER

In 2002, Mesler was named as an alternate for the Olympic Games held in Salt Lake City, Utah. It wasn't long before his talent was recognized. Mesler was honored along with Todd Hays, Bill Schuffenhauer and Pavle Jovanovic as the U.S. Olympic Committee Team of the Month for November, 2004, December, 2004 and February, 2005. In the 2006 Olympic Games held in Torino, Italy he placed 7th in the 4-man bobsled with driver Todd Hays.

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After the Olympic Games in Torino, Mesler was recruited to Steve Holcomb's 4-man bobsled team and finished the 2006-2007 season with impressive results: three Gold medals and two Silver medals. This achievement placed the team second in the 4-man overall World Cup standings.

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During the 2009 World Championships in Lake Placid, the 4-man team claimed the Gold medal. As a member of Steve Holcomb's "Night Train", Mesler occupies the third slot as push athlete.

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Born in Buffalo, New York, Mesler competed for The University of Florida as a decathlete and graduated in 2000 with honors earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise and Sports Science. He resides in Calgary.

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FAST FACTS ABOUT STEVE

• Placed 7th at 2006 Torino Olympic Games in four-man with driver Todd Hays

• 2002 Olympic alternate

• 2009-2010 World Cup as push athlete for Steven Holcomb in the four-man-7th in Park City (Nov., 2009), GOLD in Lake Placid (Nov., 2009), GOLD in Cesana (Dec., 2009), GOLD in Winterberg (Dec., 2009), SILVER in Altenberg (Dec., 2009), SILVER in Konigssee (Jan., 2010), 4th in St. Moritz (Jan., 2010), 8th in Igls (Jan., 2010).
  

• 2008-2009 World Cup as push athlete for Steven Holcomb in the four-man-BRONZE in Winterberg (Nov., 2008), 7th in Altenberg (Dec., 2008), SILVER in Igls (Dec., 2008), SILVER in Whistler (Feb., 2009), GOLD in Park City #1 (Feb., 2009), GOLD in Park City #2 (Feb., 2009)-GOLD at 2009 World Championships at Lake Placid (Feb., 2009).
  

• 2007-2008 World Cup as push athlete in the four-man-GOLD in Calgary (Nov., 2007), GOLD in Park City (Dec., 2007), SILVER in Lake Placid (Dec., 2007), 8th in Cortina (Jan., 2008), 11th in Cesana (Jan., 2008), 6th in St. Moritz (Jan., 2008), SILVER in Konigssee (Feb., 2008), 4th in Winterberg (Feb., 2008) - 6th at World Championships in Altenberg, Germany.
  

• 37th overall in 2006-2007 World Cup as driver in the two-man-22nd in Winterberg (Feb., 2007).

• 2006-2007 World Cup as push athlete for Steve Holcomb in the four-man-GOLD in Cortina (Jan., 2007), GOLD in Igls (Jan., 2007), GOLD in Cesana Pariol (Feb., 2007), SILVER in Winterberg (Feb., 2007), SILVER in Königssee (Feb., 2007)-4th at World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland (Feb., 2007).
  

• 4th overall in 2006-2007 America's Cup as driver in the two-man-3rd and 4th in Calgary (Nov., 2006), 4th and 3rd in Park City (Nov., 2006).
  

• 2005-2006 World Cup as push athlete for Todd Hays in the four-man-SILVER in Calgary (Nov., 2005), 4th in Igls (Dec., 2005), GOLD in Cortina (Dec., 2005), SILVER in Königssee (Jan., 2006), GOLD in St. Moritz (Jan., 2006).
  

• 2004-2005 World Cup as push athlete for Todd Hays in the two-man -11th in Winterberg (Nov., 2004), 5th in Cesana Pariol (Jan., 2005).

• 2004-2005 World Cup as push athlete for Todd Hays in the four-man-GOLD in Winterberg (Nov., 2004), GOLD in Altenberg (Dec., 2004), SILVER in Igls (Dec., 2004), 4th in Cortina (Dec., 2004)-5th at World Championships in Calgary, Canada (Feb., 2005).
  

• 2003-2004 World Cup as brakeman for Todd Hays in the two-man -SILVER in Calgary (Nov., 2003), BRONZE in Lake Placid (Nov., 2003), GOLD in Winterberg (Dec., 2003), 9th in Altenberg (Dec., 2003), 5th in St. Moritz (Jan., 2004).

• 2003-2004 World Cup as push athlete for Todd Hays in the four-man -SILVER in Lake Placid (Nov., 2003), BRONZE in Altenberg (Dec., 2003), SILVER in St. Moritz (Jan., 2004), 6th and 3rd in Cortina (Jan., 2004 and Feb., 2004), SILVER in Igls (Feb., 2004)-3rd at World Championships in Königssee (Feb., 2004).
  

• 31st overall in 2002-2003 World Cup as driver in the two-man-27th in Cortina (Dec., 2002), 24th in LaPlagne (Dec., 2002), 25th in St. Moritz (Jan., 2003), 22nd in Calgary (Feb., 2003).
  

• 2002-03 World Cup as push athlete with Todd Hays in the four-man-4th in Igls (Dec., 2002), 6th in Cortina (Dec., 2002), SILVER in LaPlagne (Dec., 2002), 5th in St. Moritz (Jan., 2003), 8th in Winterberg (Jan., 2003).

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"When the bobsled comes down to the last corner, that is the hardest pressure. It feels as if a piano is placed on your back and then bounced up and down. The first time down a hill, it was as if somebody had lit a stick of dynamite behind the sled and let it explode, and off it went. You're thinking, 'Something must be wrong--this cannot possibly be what it's supposed to be like'. There's no way the driver has control'. But by the time you get to the Olympics, you understand everything. There's no more of that out-of-control feeling. The sled goes, and all four athletes move together with the curves and with the track. Everything moves as one".
--Steve Mesler

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Note: At press time, pursuant to International Olympic Committee Regulations, "The Night Train" titles adorning the world champion bobsled which drove to the first world title for the U.S. men in 50 years last March was ordered removed. However, Amanda Bird, Marketing and Communications Manager with the United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation confirmed that the logo will remain on the black matted sled, which has been regularly called "intimidating" by other bobsled athletes.

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