Elana Meyers Taylor Ties U.S. Winter Olympic Medal Record With Gold Win in Monobob

It was the 41-year-old’s first gold medal win in her Olympic career.

Bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor won her first gold Olympic medal in the monobob. | Julian Finney/Getty Images

At age 41, Elana Meyers Taylor can now say she’s an Olympic gold medalist.

Meyers Taylor competed in her fifth Olympics in Milan Cortina this year, and was already a five-time medalist heading into Monday’s monobob final. Meyers Taylor has medaled in all five Olympic appearances she’s made.

Meyers Taylor won the gold medal in the monobob by 0.04 seconds over Germany’s Laura Nolte, who beat her in all three heats heading into the final. On the podium with Meyers Taylor and Nolte was American Kaillie Humphrie, who has also medaled in five straight Olympic Games.

ELANA MEYERS TAYLOR'S QUEST FOR GOLD IS COMPLETE! pic.twitter.com/0AN1LlmPfs

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 16, 2026

The American made Olympic history in many ways with her gold medal win. For one, she’s the most decorated Black Winter Olympian of all-time. Her six medals ties her with speedskater Bonnie Blair for the most medals won by an American female winter athlete (Apolo Anton Ohno has the all-time record with eight medals). And, her time in Milan Cortina isn’t over yet, meaning she could break the latter record this week in the two-woman bobsled event.

In Meyers Taylor’s first Olympics back in 2010, she won a bronze in the two-woman event. In ‘14, she earned silver in the same event. She repeated in ‘18 with a silver in the two-woman event. In ‘22, Meyers Taylor won two medals, including her first in the monobob with a silver, then the bronze in the two-woman event.

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