Other names: BRIAN SHIMER, B. Shimer

SHIMER, Brian Lee

Born: 20 April 1962

Birthplace: Naples (United-States)

Nationality: Naples (United-States)

Sport: Bobsleigh

ATTENDANCE AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES

Calgary 1988

Albertville 1992

Lillehammer 1994

Salt Lake City 2002

AWARDS

Olympic medals:

Bronze: 1

Details

Other results:

World Championships

Bronze: 3 (93, 97)

The Fifth Time is the Charm

Brian Shimer competed in the Olympics for the first time in 1988, only 2½ years after his fist slide down a bobsleigh run. He placed 16th in the four-man event. At the 1992 Albertville Games, he switched to the two-man event and finished seventh. He was back in 1994, but took the 13th place. In 1998, Shimer qualified for both bobsleigh events at the Nagano Olympics. He placed tenth in the two-man race. Although his fifth-place finish in the four-man was his best yet, it was also his most agonizing because he missed a medal by only two hundredths of a second. Refusing to give up, Shimer qualified for the Olympics a fifth time in 2002, this time in the four-man. By now he was 39 years old and it appeared to be his last chance to compete in the Olympics. Teamed with Mike Kohn, Doug Sharp and Dan Steele, Shimer was in only fifth place after the first two of four heats. However he improved dramatically the second day. By recording the fastest time of the fourth and final run, Shimer moved into third place and successfully completed his 14-year quest for an Olympic medal.