Vonetta Flowers
Vonetta Flowers (née:Jeffery; born October 29, 1973) is an American bobsledder. In 2002 Winter Olympics, Flowers became the first African American and the first Black athlete from any country to win a gold medal at a Winter Olympics.
Career
Flowers was a star sprinter and long jumper at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and originally aspired to make the U.S. Summer Olympics. After several failed attempts, Flowers turned to bobsledding, and found success as a brakewoman almost immediately. At the 2002 Winter Olympics, she, along with driver Jill Bakken, won the gold medal in the two-woman event, becoming the first African American woman to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics. After the Salt Lake City Games, Flowers gave birth to twins and took some time off from the sport. In 2003, she returned to compe*ion with new driver Jean Prahm. Flowers and Prahm competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, finishing sixth.
Flowers also won the bronze medal in the two-woman event at the 2004 FIBT World Championships in Königssee. She retired from compe*ion after the 2006 Winter Olympics.
In December 2010, she was elected to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. She was inducted as a member of the Cl* of 2011 in May.
References
- 2006 bobsleigh two-woman results
- Bobsleigh two-woman Olympic medalists since 2002
- Bobsleigh two-woman world championship medalists since 2000
- FIBT profile
- Official website
- United States Olympic Committee profile
- Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Cl* of 2011