Cackett confident about Champs chances
Greg Cackett is expecting a great competition and hoping for an even greater result when the 4-man bobsleigh action hits the World Championship schedule later today.
Cackett lines up alongside Taylor Lawrence and Arran Gulliver in a team piloted by Brad Hall as GB look to build on their Overall World Cup bronze medal in the sport’s blue ribband event.
The team medalled in the last six World Cup races of the campaign before heading out to Lake Placid for the season showpiece and Cackett is looking for more of the same in the US.
Cackett and co won World Championship silver in St Moritz two seasons ago as the country celebrated its first 4-man World Champs medal since the Second World War but the 35-year-old former sprinter has his sights set on an even greater achievement this time around.
“It should be a great competition: there are three really strong German teams; it’s home ice for the Americans and they were flying in the 2-man last week; and a number of other crews have shown how good they are, too. It’s going to be super competitive but we tend to rise to the occasion in that respect,” said Cackett.
We’re pretty confident because it’s been a really successful season for the team. We’ve had two gold, a silver and three bronze medals and we’re in a good place. Brad’s driving has been phenomenal; the kit’s been working well; and the pushes have been good. It’s been really, really good on lots of different fronts.
“And Lake Placid is a great track for us. We’ve got a good history and fond memories of winning our first World Cup gold here a few years ago. That was with the same crew and in the same combination we’ll be running this weekend.
“We are really hopeful we can go one better than we did in Moritz. That was an amazing thing for us to break that 84-year duck and get that World Champs medal. The silver was an amazing feeling then but it’s gold that we want now. We’ve won World Cup golds and now we want World Championship gold, too. Doing that this weekend would be a magic way to sign off the season.
“We want to be World Champions and to take that momentum into the Olympic year. It’s not just about winning a medal - it’s about winning a gold medal. That’s the only place my mind is at.”
Having won gold in Winterberg in January and bronze in St Moritz the same month, Cackett missed out on the medal successes in Igls, Moritz and the double header in Lillehammer as injury kept him on the sidelines.
It was a tough time for a man who has been a central figure for the majority of his bobsleigh career ever since he joined the GB set up in 2016, with Cackett hating the feeling of not being involved but still loving the fact that the team were proving they were ultra competitive whatever the racing crew combinations.
And, while success right now is the primary focus, knowing that there is now such a high level of competition within the team means a huge amount to Cackett when it comes to the long-term future of the British set up.
“For me personally, my injury put me out for the latter part of the World Cup season having picked up a couple of medals before that so I’m really pleased to be back in the team with a chance to show what I bring,” added Cackett, who was an Olympian in both 2018 and 2022.
It’s been a frustrating season because of the injury but it’s been an amazing one for the team. I’m grateful and proud that I’ve been part of building a squad that can succeed whether I’m in it or not. That’s the way it should be.
“We’ve shown that we can win medals with different crew combinations and having that strength in depth is a game changer. It’s been a magic season in that respect.
“That’s been one of the most encouraging things through this Olympic cycle so far: witnessing the evolution of Arran and Leon (Greenwood) from our rookies to consistent world-class performers. That’s a huge testament not only to those boys but also to the BBSA recruitment drive and the process that went into developing them. Most excitingly, it shows that, when Taylor or I depart, the British team will still have the brakemen we need to continue performing at a world-class level. That’s the legacy we wanted.’
For now, that legacy can wait. What matters today and tomorrow is a podium place, preferably on the top step rather than the second or third.
“We can’t wait to get going. We’ve been building towards this all season and we’re genuinely exited. We want this one badly.
It’s going to be an interesting one with the warm weather that’s come in. We need to be on our game from the very start, almost competing as if it’s going to be a one-day event in case the second day gets cancelled. We’re confident that won’t happen but we’ve got to make sure we’re out of the traps immediately and ready to give it everything straight away.
“If we don’t come away with the result we want, it certainly won’t be through a lack of effort or because we’re not ready for the challenge.”
World Championship schedule
All times are GMT
Thurs 6 & Fri 7 Mar
Men's Skeleton: Weston 1st; Wyatt 2nd; Bostock 18th
Women's Skeleton: Stoecker 8th; Coltman 14th; Tarbit 18th
Sat 8 & Sun 9 Mar
2-man Bobsleigh: Hall & Lawrence 6th; Baird & Butterworth DNF
Women's monobob: Nicoll 16th
Sun 9 Mar
Skeleton Team Event: Stoecker & Weston 2nd; Coltman & Wyatt DSQ
Fri 14 Mar
4-man Bobsleigh Runs 1&2 1pm
Women's Bobsleigh Runs 1&2 6pm
Sat 15 Mar
4-man Bobsleigh Runs 3&4 1pm
Women's Bobsleigh Runs 3&4 6pm
