American · Park City, Utah, USA · Born 14 April 1980American bobsled pilot who ended a 62-year gold medal drought in the four-man event at the 2010 Olympics, overcoming a degenerative eye disease that nearly blinded him, before his sudden death in 2017 at age 37.
Steven Paul Holcomb was born on 14 April 1980 in Park City, Utah, and began ski racing at six before trying out for USA Bobsled in 1998 and being invited to the National Team Camp. He served in the Utah Army National Guard early in his career while rising through the sport as a brakeman before transitioning to piloting. As Holcomb's career progressed, he was diagnosed in 2002 with keratoconus, a degenerative eye disease that gradually left him nearly blind and contributed to serious depression. In 2007 and 2008 he underwent an experimental, non-invasive procedure called corneal collagen cross-linking, which stabilized the condition; after his subsequent Olympic success, the treatment was renamed 'Holcomb C3-R' in his honor, the first medical procedure named after an Olympic athlete. At the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Holcomb piloted his four-man sled, nicknamed 'Night Train,' to gold - the United States' first four-man Olympic bobsled title in 62 years, since 1948. He added two more Olympic medals at the 2014 Sochi Games, taking bronze in both the two-man and four-man events (later upgraded to silver after a Russian doping disqualification), and became the winningest American bobsled athlete in history, with 12 Olympic and World Championship golds combined and six overall World Cup titles. On 6 May 2017, Holcomb was found dead in his room at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid at age 37, with an official investigation finding no foul play and identifying pulmonary congestion as the cause. His teammates wore 'Night Train' bracelets in his memory at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.
Ending the United States' 62-year gold medal drought in four-man bobsled at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, while overcoming a degenerative eye disease
How They Played
Renowned for exceptionally fast reflexes and precise steering through demanding turns, driving largely by feel due to his vision condition
Lasting Impact
Remembered as one of the greatest American bobsledders in history and a source of inspiration for overcoming his eye condition, whose sudden death deeply affected the close-knit Olympic sliding sport community
Career Honours
- 2010 Olympic Gold Medalist, Four-Man - first US four-man gold in 62 years
- 2x Olympic Medalist, Sochi 2014 (upgraded to silver after doping disqualifications)
- 6x Overall World Cup Champion
- Winningest American bobsled athlete in history
American Athletes