// BEGIN editorial data var i = 0; var spt_oly_flowers_profile = new Array(); spt_oly_flowers_profile.ID = "spt_oly_flowers_profile"; spt_oly_flowers_profile.ID_WB = 10399966; spt_oly_flowers_profile.sPubDate = "3/14/2006 3:12:52 AM GMT"; spt_oly_flowers_profile.navsectionID = "3032874" spt_oly_flowers_profile.appFmt = 2; spt_oly_flowers_profile.itemsPerPage = 1; spt_oly_flowers_profile.appWidth = 624; spt_oly_flowers_profile.appHeader = ""; spt_oly_flowers_profile.sTitle = "Spotlight on: Vonetta Flowers"; spt_oly_flowers_profile.appFooter = "Source: Josh Dumond/ MSNBC"; spt_oly_flowers_profile.appNavStyle = 3; spt_oly_flowers_profile.nLinkCols = 1; spt_oly_flowers_profile.bDhtml = 0; spt_oly_flowers_profile.appLayout = 3; spt_oly_flowers_profile.copyWidth = 480; spt_oly_flowers_profile.copyMargin = 9; spt_oly_flowers_profile[i++] = new Array("","Introduction","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/z_Projects_in_progress/oly_bio_apps/flowers_intro.vsmall.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Ezra Shaw", "PRN", "198", "130", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); spt_oly_flowers_profile[i-1].body = "Vonetta Flowers became the first black woman to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics when she teamed up with Jill Bakken in 2002. There will be no repeat performance this year because the two have split and have teamed up with different partners. So now the questions becomes whether it will be Flowers who wins gold, Bakken, or neither of them?"; spt_oly_flowers_profile[i++] = new Array("","Development","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_oly_flowers_profile[i-1].body = "
Flowers was born on October 23, 1973 in Birmingham, Alabama. At an early age, Flowers was destined to be a track star. Her original coach, DeWitt Thomas, dubbed her as a \"one-in-a-million\" athlete as Flowers rarely finished worse than first in any event she competed in.

Flowers became a standout athlete in high school and college, winning 35 conference titles while attending the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Despite all her success in college, Flowers' dream of competing in the Olympics came up short as she failed to qualify at the 1996 and 2000 Olympic trials.

At the age of 26, Flowers took up the idea of giving bobsledding a try. Less than two months after trying out, Flowers was competing for the U.S. bobsled team.
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You can't really define Flowers' infancy as a bobsledder as \"early years,\" considering she broke the world start record just two weeks after learning how to push in October 2000, in Park City, Utah. It became evident that Flowers was a natural at bobsledding from the moment she stepped on the icy track.

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2002 — Flowers teams up with Jill Bakken to win gold at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.
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The potential of Flowers going against her former teammate Bakken for gold in Turin is a very intriguing matchup. Flowers is now braking for Jill Prahn (formerly Jill Racine), who finished a disappointing fifth at the 2002 Games. The duo has enjoyed success on the 2005-06 World Cup circuit.

Bakken has also enjoyed success, but with two different brake women. Flowers and Bakken could both end up on the medal podium in Turin — on different teams.


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  • Also the first person from Alabama to win a medal in the Winter Olympics
  • Loves watching re-runs of Seinfeld


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    On winning gold in Salt Lake City: “To be the first African-American to win gold is a blessing and an honor. I just hope it opens the doors for younger African-Americans, and hopefully they will want to give winter sports a try.\"

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    Past Olympic finishes
    2002 — Gold

    Other notable accomplishments

  • Finished 4th in 2004 World Cup standings
  • Finished 3rd at the 2004 world championships

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