GB Bobsleigh Duo Optimistic Following Medal-Winning Season

Great Britain’s bobsleigh athletes, Adele Nicoll and Kya Placide, are preparing to commence their 2024-25 season, stating they are “ready to fight with the best in the world for podiums”. This follows their achievement of securing Great Britain’s first Europa Cup gold medal since 2017 in St Moritz at the beginning of 2024. The Welsh pair previously claimed gold in the two-woman event at the Europa Cup in St Moritz, Switzerland, in January. They concluded the previous season by earning a silver medal at the World Cup’s concluding round in Lake Placid, USA. Consequently, Nicoll, aged 28, and Placide, aged 20, express optimism regarding the upcoming World Cup series, scheduled to commence in Altenberg, Germany, between 2 and 8 December. Nicoll commented, “I am incredibly excited for this season.” She added, “We have worked so hard over the summer to put all the right things in place for us to be doing well and better than last year.” Placide, a track sprinter, had no prior bobsleigh experience before last winter. Meanwhile, Nicoll had participated in only three World Cup starts in the two-woman discipline prior to their second-place achievement in March. Nicoll, a double UK shot put champion who competed in the 2022 Commonwealth Games shot put final for Wales, characterized securing bobsleigh silver in Lake Placid as “an amazing feeling and a feeling I would like to experience more”. Having been a member of the British women’s team that previously earned a World Cup medal with Mica McNeill in January 2022, Nicoll transitioned to the pilot role to initiate her current partnership last year. She further stated, “I didn’t know what to expect, now going into my second season with more experience than I did, I have goals I really want to achieve.” Nicoll also mentioned, “We’ve worked so hard all summer to improve on our starts and technical bits, so now it’s all about transferring what we’ve practiced at Bath [the British Bobsleigh training centre] and put that on the ice.” The New Saints (TNS), Adele Nicoll’s local football club, actively supports her bobsleigh endeavors. Nicoll, a native of Welshpool, first encountered Placide, a sprinter from Cardiff, on the athletics circuit. Both athletes prominently showcase their Welsh heritage. Their bobsled features a Wales flag and the emblem of Nicoll’s local football team, The New Saints (TNS), which has represented Wales in the Uefa Conference League this season. Nicoll, who aspires to be a role model, stated, “We have a real strong partnership with TNS who are just dominating the Welsh football league and really making history.” She continued, “So with us and them as a team we’re really doing well to put Wales on the map and to show we aren’t here to play games, we’re here for business and we are here to win.” Nicoll emphasized, “It’s so important for visibility for younger athletes coming up and coming through that things are possible. I come from a very small town in mid Wales and Kya comes from Llanrumney [in Cardiff].” She concluded this point by saying, “We are so proud to be racing against the world’s best athletes in the sport with the Welsh flag on our sled.” Nicoll and Placide are targeting the European Championships in Lillehammer, Norway, in February, and the World Championships, which will return to Lake Placid in March. Prior to these events, the duo intends to solidify their standing in the sport during the initial World Cup rounds. Nicoll, who has also appeared in BBC Three’s Go Hard Or Go Home series, remarked, “No athlete ever enters a comp wanting to come away with anything less than their best.” She added, “If that means winning medals getting on podiums or getting top 10s then fantastic.” Nicoll explained, “I will approach each race as it comes and assess where I’m at and where our goals are when we are racing back-to-back every weekend.” She concluded, “It’s pretty tough to stay on top form every weekend so we will have to target races, which the team and athletes have discussed, but I want to go and deliver performances I can be proud of and just know that I am continuing to learn.”