Vonetta Flowers

Vonetta Flowers

File:Vonetta Flowers.jpg
Personal information
Residence	Helena, Alabama
Medal record Bobsleigh Representing the United States Olympic Games 2002 Salt Lake City Two-woman World Championships 2004 Königssee Two-woman

Vonetta Flowers (born Vonetta Jeffery on October 29, 1973 in Birmingham, Alabama) is an American bobsledder and athlete.

Career

Flowers was a star sprinter and long jumper at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and originally aspired to make the U.S. Summer Olympic Team. After several failed attempts, Flowers turned to bobsledding, and found success as a brakewoman almost immediately. At the 2002 Winter Olympics, she, along with driver Jill Bakken, won the gold medal in the two-woman event, becoming the first black person to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics. After the Salt Lake City Games, Flowers gave birth to twins and took some time off from the sport. In 2003, she returned to competition with new driver Jean Prahm. Flowers and Prahm competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, finishing sixth.

Flowers also won the two-woman event at the 2004 FIBT World Championships in Königssee. She retired from competition after the 2006 Winter Olympics.

In December 2010, she was elected to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. She was to be inducted as a member of the Class of 2011 in May.

References

• 2006 bobsleigh two-woman results
• Bobsleigh two-woman Olympic medalists since 2002
• Bobsleigh two-woman world championship medalists since 2000
• FIBT profile
• Official website
• United States Olympic Committee profile
• Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2011

Vonetta Flowers and Jill Bakken begin the race for the gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics