U.S. bobsledding star Steve Holcomb found dead in room at Olympic training center

Steven Holcomb, the star of U.S. bobsledding with multiple Olympic and world championship medals over the last two decades, was found dead in his room at a New York training center on Saturday.

The U.S. Olympic Committee offered no further details about the 37-year-old athlete’s death in Lake Placid, N.Y.

“The entire Olympic family is shocked and saddened by the incredibly tragic loss today of Steven Holcomb,” said Scott Blackmun, the USOC’s chief executive. “Steve was a tremendous athlete and even better person, and his perseverance and achievements were an inspiration to us all.”

A veteran of three Winter Games, Holcomb piloted the four-man “Night Train” bobsled to gold at Vancouver in 2010. It was the first Olympic championship for a U.S. team in that event since 1948.

Four years later, the Utah native took bronze in the two-man and four-man events at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. His resume also included five world titles and six overall World Cup championships.

“It would be easy to focus on the loss in terms of his Olympic medals and enormous athletic contributions to the organization, but USA Bobsled & Skeleton is a family, and right now we are trying to come to grips with the loss of our teammate, our brother and our friend,” said Darrin Steele, the national federation’s chief executive.

david.wharton@latimes.com

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