Lake Placid Hosting USA National Skeleton Push Championships

USA Skeleton athletes will compete for the 2015 USA National Push Championship title on the wheeled push track at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y. at 10 a.m. ET this Saturday. Push championships are not mandatory for skeleton competitors, but results give athletes a chance to measure their off-season training and provide the coaching staff with valuable information leading into selections.

"After a very successful USA Skeleton National Championships in March, the USA Skeleton Team is excited to hold the 2015 National Push Championships," said USA Skeleton Head Coach Tuffy Latour. "The U.S. Olympic Committee and the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center have made a great investment in the bobsled and skeleton programs with the addition of this new push track. This years championships will include some very strong veteran sliders and new recruits. As coaches, we've seen the program get better and better over the last four years. It amazes us each day as we see the athletes grow and push themselves to be their best."

Women's defending champion Gracie Clapp-Taylor (Saint Johns, Fla.) hopes to add another win to her resume for a career push championship three-peat. Trent Kraychir (Desert Hot Springs, Calif.), last season's winner of the men's division, will not be competing in push championships this year, leaving the door open for a new champion to emerge.

Media and fans are encouraged to attend USA National Skeleton Push Championships. The push track is located at the rear of the Olympic Training Center.

"We're looking forward to the first competitive event of the 2015-2016 season," Latour said. "It'll prove to be a great competition."

For media inquiries, please contact Amanda Bird, USABS Marketing & Communications Director, at amanda.bird@usabs.com, or at (518) 354-2250. Get updates on the team by following USA Bobsled & Skeleton on Facebook, USBSF on Twitter and USABS on Instagram.

About USA Bobsled & Skeleton: USA Bobsled & Skeleton, based in Lake Placid, N.Y., is the national governing body for the sports of bobsled and skeleton in the United States. The USABS would like to thank its sponsors, suppliers and contributors for their support: BMW of North America, Century 21 Real Estate, Under Armour, Kampgrounds of America, Boomerang Carnets, Azad Watches, Park City Lodging, Inc., Sixt Rent a Car, Classroom Champions, Aspen Institute's Project Play, Sixt Rent a Car, EDAS/Ripxx, Tesa Tape, UberSense and Ferris Mfg. Corp. For more information, please visit the USABS website at http://bobsled.teamusa.org.