Russia out front in bobsled

KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia (AP) – Olympic two-man bobsled has become one man’s race.
Out of the fog, Alexander Zubkov emerged as the clear leader.
Russia’s Zubkov set a track record on his first run, and then opened some distance on the rest of a decorated field yesterday with a second crisp, clean trip down his home track to take a commanding lead at the halfway point over Switzerland’s Beat Hefti and Steven Holcomb of the United States at the Winter Olympics.
Zubkov is two runs away from winning Russia’s first gold medal in two-man since 1988, and unless he makes a major mistake today, it might be time to start chilling the vodka for a celebratory toast.
“I am very satisfied,” said Zubkov, who won bronze four years ago at the Vancouver Games. “And we will compete at the appropriate level [today].”
Jamaica’s two-man team, back in the Olympics for the first time since 2002, is in 32nd place – 4.41 seconds behind Zubkov.
Driver Winston Watts and Marvin Dixon had to raise money in the past month to pay for new runners, and their visit got off to a rough start when they arrived without their equipment, which was briefly lost in transit.