After finishing second in the first heat, Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi didn’t overreact. They didn’t rush changes or let the pressure get to them. They reset.

Four runs later, they were standing on top of the podium at the Cortina Sliding Centre with a combined time of 3:48.46, winning Olympic gold in the Two-Woman bobsled by 0.53 seconds.

The scoreboard at the end made it clear who won, but it didn't tell the whole story. It didn't show how Nolte and Levi came back from behind.

In Heat 1, Nolte and Levi were just five hundredths of a second behind. In a sport where medals are often decided by tenths, that gap matters. But instead of chasing time, they focused on what they could control: clean steering, strong pushes, and smooth transitions.

By Heat 2, they had taken the overall lead. In Heat 3, they built on it. And in the final run, they protected it.

Levi pointed to the third run as a key moment.

“Laura did a great job today. The third run was really nice and also the other ones, and I’m just so proud of her,” she said.

That third heat created real separation with a sharp and controlled run. Nolte’s clean lines through the curves paired with Levi’s explosive start gave them the momentum they needed to stay ahead.

“It is incredible. I don’t know what to say. We had hard times during the last four years but we fought back, and now we’re here winning gold. It’s just so crazy that we did it a second time and I don’t know what to say. I’m so grateful”

Deborah Levi

Bobsled doesn’t reward one perfect moment. It rewards four solid ones. Medals are decided by total time across all heats, which means consistency matters more than a single fast run. Nolte and Levi showed exactly that consistency with strong starts, steady driving, and no costly mistakes.

But this gold meant more than numbers on a results sheet.

For Levi, the moment carried the weight of the past four years.

“It is incredible. I don’t know what to say. We had hard times during the last four years but we fought back, and now we’re here winning gold. It’s just so crazy that we did it a second time and I don’t know what to say. I’m so grateful,” she said.

You could hear it in her voice – relief, pride, disbelief.

The past few years weren’t smooth. There were setbacks, pressure, and all the expectations that come with being one of the best. Winning again wasn’t just about being strong physically. It was about staying calm and steady when things didn’t go your way.

And that’s exactly what was shown in Cortina.

They didn’t need a perfect start. They needed a strong response.

After one heat, they were second.

After four, they were champions.

Their performance was a reminder that early pressure doesn’t define the outcome. What matters is how you respond to it. Nolte and Levi didn’t chase the clock. They trusted their preparation, trusted each other, and let consistency do the work.

In a sport where hundredths of a second can change everything, they earned it run by run.