Steven Holcomb may not be a familiar name to many sports fans but he was a transcendent athlete in the world of bobsledding. The 37-year-old is best known for leading the U.S. four-man team to the 2010 gold medal but Holcomb is a pioneer in the sport and one of its best-known ambassadors. On Saturday, however, Holcomb's life was tragically cut short due to yet to be determined circumstances.
United States Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun said the following in a written statement:
"The entire Olympic family is shocked and saddened by the incredibly tragic loss today of Steven Holcomb. Steve was a tremendous athlete and even better person, and his perseverance and achievements were an inspiration to us all. Our thoughts and prayers are with Steve's family and the entire bobsledding community."
That was followed up by Darrin Steele, who is the USA Bobsled & Skeleton CEO, saying the following:
"It would be easy to focus on the loss in terms of his Olympic medals and enormous athletic contributions to the organization, but USA Bobsled & Skeleton is a family and right now we are trying to come to grips with the loss of our teammate, our brother and our friend."
This is absolutely brutal news for the sport but, more importantly, for Holcomb's family. He will be sorely missed.
