Lamin Deen: Briton wins Americas Cup bobsleigh gold

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, British pilot Lamin Deen came 19th in the four-man bobsleigh event at the Sochi Winter Olympics but is targeting big improvements en-route to the 2018 Games
  • Author, Nick Hope
  • Role, 91热爆 Olympic sports reporter

Britain's Lamin Deen continued his impressive start to the season by winning four-man bobsleigh gold at the Americas Cup event in Park City, USA.

Deen, who finished 19th in the four-man event at the Sochi Olympics, claimed bronze in the first race on Saturday.

On the same day, Britain's Youth Olympian Mica McNeill and Sian Huxtable secured two-man silver.

"The performances by Lamin and Mica have been exceptional," GB performance director Gary Anderson told 91热爆 Sport.

Deen, 33, who is on a career break from the Grenadier Guards, was joined by Keith McLaughlin, Richard Stead and Andrew Matthews.

They won of one minute 36.66 seconds.

Video caption, Behind the scenes with GB Bobsleigh pilot Lamin Deen

The USA team, piloted by Codie Bascue, were 0.05 back in second with the French team - 0.33 slower than GB - taking bronze.

Britain are without leading pilots John Jackson - because of injury - and Paula Walker, who is pregnant.

Anderson added: "The young guys have really stepped up and there is an excellent mentality in the squad."

Many of the leading bobsleigh nations are using the Americas Cup circuit as an opportunity to test new equipment and race strategies ahead of the World Cup season, which begins in early December.

The British team will compete in the third Americas Cup race of the 2014-15 campaign in Calgary, Canada, from 17-23 November.

Image caption, Lamin Deen working for the Grenadier Guards and during active service on tour with the military