Ashleigh Nelson, a decorated British sprinter, is set to compete in the two-woman bobsleigh at the Winter Olympics, despite having little prior knowledge of the sport. The 33-year-old, who won gold in the 4x100m relay at the 2014 European Championships and the 2022 Commonwealth Games, made the switch after an Achilles injury derailed her athletics career.
Nelson was approached by GB bobsleigh pilot Adele Nicoll via Instagram shortly after the Paris Olympics. “I was tricked into it,” Nelson said. “I didn’t know anything about it before I went down, I’d never seen a crash. The closest I’d ever come to a bobsleigh before was watching Cool Runnings.”
The transition has been challenging. Nelson described her first run in Lillehammer as a shock: “There’s no cushion. There’s no seatbelt. There’s no airbags. When I got to the bottom my body was in shock.” She initially called her mother to say the sport was not for her, but was persuaded to stay.
Nelson now races with her eyes closed, relying on memorising the track and counting corners. “I’m in the back with my head tucked between my legs holding on to the sled! I can’t see anything that’s happening,” she said. Despite her fear, she brings impressive strength, squatting 260kg, and is a medal contender.
Nelson joins a long line of track athletes who have switched to bobsleigh, including Joel Fearon and Montell Douglas. She admits the opportunity came at a vulnerable time after missing the Paris Olympics due to injury. “I was feeling a bit sad and vulnerable, so when she said: ‘Do you fancy bobsleigh?’ I was like ‘maybe’,” Nelson said.
