An 'ice bath from the ground up': How 2 US bobsledders ended up barefoot post-run

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CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Frank Del Duca and Josh Williamson quickly began icing down after their first two runs of the two-man bobsled event at the Milan Cortina Games.

It was not in a recommended fashion. They didn't even use ice.

The American bobsledders — who are fourth at the midway point of the two-man competition, just one-tenth of a second from a bronze medal spot — had one tiny problem after their second run Monday.

Well, four tiny problems, to be exact.

They lost their shoes.

So, they went through most of their 20-minute post-race media gamut outside, in subfreezing temperatures, on cold gray concrete — barefoot. They carried their racing spikes but didn't want to wear them on the concrete in order to avoid damage.

“In between runs, we plan ahead," Del Duca said. "We put our shoes in something called a down bag. We have layers to stay nice and warm and be comfortable. We pack a lot of stuff in that bag and then we normally don’t leave it at the top.

"Today, we left it at the top.”

Sliders wear very little during their actual runs: super-thin speed suit, spikes and helmet are about it. Their jackets, warm-up gear, sneakers and big gloves tend to be kept in those “down” bags, named because they're supposed to come “down” the mountain with someone while the sliders, you know, go down in their sled.

They tried to make the best of the situation Monday.

“We're just trying to be tough,” Williamson insisted, though the smile on his face suggested otherwise.

Anyway, before their journey through what's called the mixed zone — the area just off the finish line where athletes take questions from broadcasters and reporters — Del Duca and Williamson got saved.

Curt Tomasevicz, USA Bobsled's Director of Sport Performance, retrieved their down bags and briskly went through the area to deliver the sneakers and warm clothes to Del Duca and Williamson. They quickly bundled up and ended up walking away with their normal gait, instead of the rather tentative steps they were taking on their way to the interviews.

“I'm telling everyone it was intentional,” Del Duca said. “We were taking an ice bath from the ground up.”

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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics