Steven Holcomb made his first World Cup bobsled podium in nearly two years, winning a two-man event in Lake Placid, N.Y., on Friday.
Holcomb, the 2010 Olympic four-man champion and two- and four-man bronze medalist at Sochi 2014, prevailed by .11 of a second over two runs with push athlete Carlo Valdes.
“It’s overwhelming,” Holcomb said. “I kind of started the season off bad; 2015 just wasn’t my year so I’m really glad to put that behind me. I’m starting 2016 off pretty well, and hopefully can keep this going. Today is just overwhelming with emotions.”
Holcomb, 35, had struggled since Sochi, making zero podiums across 18 World Cup and World Championships races last season. His last podium came in a victory Jan. 26, 2014.
He came into this season still recovering from the torn Achilles that slowed him in Sochi and then, in the first World Cup stop in November, suffered a quadriceps strain that rendered him unable to push his sled.
German Francesco Friedrich, the two-time reigning World champion who won the three previous two-man races this season, finished eighth on Friday.
MORE: U.S. also ends skeleton drought
Whaaaat?! Gold, that's what! pic.twitter.com/997rtvxlje
— USA Bobsled Skeleton (@USABS) January 8, 2016