Vonetta Flowers

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexFemale
Full nameVonetta Lashaw•Flowers (Jeffery-)
Used nameVonetta•Flowers
Born29 October 1973 in Birmingham, Alabama (USA)
Measurements167 cm / 70 kg
AffiliationsUAB Blazers, Birmingham (USA)
NOC United States
Medals OG
Gold 1
Silver 0
Bronze 0
Total 1

Biography

Vonetta Flowers was a sprinter and long jumper at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She later turned to bobsledding, and at the 2002 Winter Olympics, she was the brakeman for Jill Bakken, as they won the gold medal in the first women’s Olympic bobsled event. In the process, she became the first black athlete to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics. In 2003, she returned to competition with new driver Jean Racine-Prahm. Flowers and Racine-Prahm competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, finishing sixth, and together they also won a bronze medal at the 2004 World Championships. After the 2002 Winter Olympics, Flowers gave birth to twins. One was born deaf and prior to the 2006 Winter Olympics, she took him to Italy to have complex surgery there that was not yet done in the United States. Vonetta Flowers retired from competition after the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
2002 Winter Olympics Bobsleigh (Bobsleigh) USA Vonetta Flowers
Two, Women (Olympic) Jill Bakken 1 Gold
2006 Winter Olympics Bobsleigh (Bobsleigh) USA Vonetta Flowers
Two, Women (Olympic) Jean Prahm 6

Special Notes