North Texas bobsledder Johnny Quinn is considering a comeback for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.
North Texas bobsledder Johnny Quinn is considering a comeback for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.
Quinn made headlines at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, when he had to break out of his bathroom after the door in the Olympic Village became stuck.
"Who knew a door at the Olympics would create that much noise?" Quinn said.
After Sochi, Quinn stepped away from bobsled.
"I was tired. I was exhausted. I needed time away from the sport," Quinn explained.
Later that year, Quinn got married. He and his wife, Amanda, began building a life together in McKinney. They recently opened an insurance agency.
"We do everything together," Amanda Quinn said.
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But during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Johnny Quinn again felt the Olympic itch.
"He'd had some conversations with his strength coach and Steven Holcomb about making a run at the 2018 Olympics," Amanda Quinn recalled.
Holcomb, a legendary U.S. bobsled driver and three-time Olympic medalist, won gold at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
"Holcomb is 'bobsled' for the United States of America," Johnny Quinn said.
That was all the motivation he needed to get back in the gym for 2018.
"That was a big catalyst for making a run at 2018," Johnny Quinn said.
Then came a gut-wrenching twist on the path to PyeongChang. On May 6, Holcomb was found dead in his room at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York. Tests later revealed a combination of alcohol and prescription sleeping medication in his system.
"It's tough," Johnny Quinn said.
Holcomb's sudden death puts Johnny Quinn's comeback in question.
"That was a big factor, to have an opportunity to be on a guy's sled, a proven Olympic medalist," he said.
The Quinns are now taking a hard look at the path ahead.
"We're trying to figure out the next step," Johnny Quinn said.
If Johnny Quinn does go to the 2018 Winter Olympics, the spirit of his teammate will surely be along for the ride.
"To have the opportunity to continue to compete and honor him would be huge," he said.
