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Credit…Doug Mills/The New York Times

Monobob, the do-it-yourself sliding sport that features one female bobsledder pushing and piloting her own sled, made its Olympic debut on Sunday with two Americans vying for a medal.

Kaillie Humphries will enter Monday’s final heats with a substantial lead of more than a second after she finished her first two heats in a combined 2 minutes 9.10 seconds.

With a win, Humphries would become the first Winter Olympian to collect a gold medal for two different countries.

Humphries became an American citizen in December following a lengthy and acrimonious split with Bobsleigh Canada, a program she represented at three previous Olympics. She was part of the winning two-woman bobsled teams at the 2010 Vancouver and 2014 Sochi Games.

On Sunday, Humphries set a quick pace on the possible path to another gold. She established a track record at the National Sliding Center in Yanqing, China, with a first run of 1:04.44.

“I’m literally just pretending like today didn’t exist and having a fresh race tomorrow,” Humphries said. “Easier said than done, I can promise you that, but at the end of the day, I’ve had practice at doing it, and I’ve won and I’ve lost in this position.”

Christine de Bruin of Canada trailed Humphries by 1.04 seconds after the first two heats, followed by Laura Nolte of Germany.

Elana Meyers Taylor, the other American in the event, was in fourth, 1.32 seconds behind Humphries.

“Not too bad for a 37-year-old mom, you know,” Meyers Taylor said. “I’m the oldest driver in the competition and the only one coming off a pregnancy, so I’m very excited about the starts.”

You’ll See Monobob Soon. What Is It?

Jonathan Abrams?Reporting from the Beijing Olympics

You’ll See Monobob Soon. What Is It?

Jonathan AbramsJonathan Abrams?Reporting from the Beijing OlympicsDoug Mills/The New York Times

Monobob, a women-only event where a single sledder pushes and drives her bobsled down an icy track, makes its Olympic debut this weekend.

Here’s what monobob is all about →

You’ll See Monobob Soon. What Is It?

Jonathan AbramsJonathan Abrams?Reporting from the Beijing OlympicsHilary Swift for The New York Times

The event offers women an additional medaling opportunity in bobsled. Men have raced in both the two-man and four-man events since 1932. Olympics organizers added two-woman bobsled at the 2002 Games.

You’ll See Monobob Soon. What Is It?

Jonathan AbramsJonathan Abrams?Reporting from the Beijing OlympicsMatthias Rietschel/Reuters

“Just having more opportunities to race is huge,” said Kaillie Humphries of the United States. “It’s something I fought for. To have it come to light now and to be able to participate, I’m fortunate that the women before me fought so hard.”

You’ll See Monobob Soon. What Is It?

Jonathan AbramsJonathan Abrams?Reporting from the Beijing OlympicsDoug Mills/The New York Times

Humphries and Elana Meyers Taylor are favorites. The two have a combined six medals in the two-woman competition. Meyers Taylor, who left isolation after testing positive for the coronavirus, is chasing her first Olympic gold.

You’ll See Monobob Soon. What Is It?

Jonathan AbramsJonathan Abrams?Reporting from the Beijing OlympicsDoug Mills/The New York Times

Germany’s iXent Sports GmbH manufactured all the monobob sleds, so the technological edge some nations enjoy in other bobsled events shouldn’t be a factor. The athletes are still able to modify the runners on their sleds.

You’ll See Monobob Soon. What Is It?

Jonathan AbramsJonathan Abrams?Reporting from the Beijing OlympicsDoug Mills/The New York Times

Humphries is among those hoping that women will eventually compete in a four-person event at the Olympics. “That’s more participation and it’s more girls that can work their butts off and realize an Olympic dream,” she said.

The monobob final will be seen in the U.S. on NBC after the Super Bowl.

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For Meyers Taylor, who has won two silver medals and a bronze in the two-woman event at three previous Olympics, just making it to the competition was an adventure.

She was chosen as one of the United States’ flag-bearers for the opening ceremony, but tested positive for the coronavirus shortly after arriving in Beijing.

She isolated for nearly a week before testing negative twice, keeping alive her hopes of competing in monobob and the two-woman event.

The International Olympic Committee announced monobob’s Olympic inclusion in 2018 for women only. Men don’t have monobob but they do compete in the four-man bobsled event, which doesn’t have a competition for women.

Humphries and Meyers Taylor are among those campaigning for a four-woman bobsled event, which would allow more women opportunities to compete in the sport at a high level.

“It’s improving very slow,” Humphries said in a December interview. “Turtle pace, real slow.”