Ben Simons (bobsleigh)
{{short description|British bobsleigher and former athlete (born 1986)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Ben Simons
| nationality = British
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1986|11|13}}
| birth_place = Broseley, Shropshire, England
| residence = Broseley
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height = {{height|m=1.86}}
| weight = {{convert|90|kg|lb st|abbr=on}}
| website =
| country = United Kingdom
| sport = File:Bobsleigh pictogram.svg Bobsleigh
| event =
| club = GB Team
| coach = Michael Khmel
Denis Doyle
| retired =
| highestranking =
}}
File:2021-02-14_IBSF_World_Championships_Bobsleigh_and_Skeleton_Altenberg_1DX_5835_by_Stepro.jpg
Ben Simons (born 13 November 1986) is a British bobsleigher and former athlete.{{cite web|author=|url=http://www.teamgb.com/athletes/ben-simons |title=Ben Simons |publisher=Team GB |date= |accessdate=14 February 2014}} He qualified for the 2014 Winter Olympics in the 4-man discipline as part of Great Britain 2 team, behind pilot Lamin Deen,{{cite news|last=Hope |first=Nick |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/winter-olympics/25804051 |title=BBC Sport – Sochi 2014: GB Bobsleigh secure two four-man Olympic spots |work=BBC Sport |date=19 January 2014 |accessdate=14 February 2014}} performing as the brakeman.
Biography
Simons was born in 1986 in Broseley, England. As a boy, he was a talented athlete, and he represented Wenlock Olympians at the age of eight. Simons progressed to competitive athletics, joining Telford Athletics club where he initially specialised in the long jump and triple jump. In 2008 he was accepted into University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC) and joined the University's athletics club.{{cite web|url=http://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=24763|title=Ben Simons|publisher=thepowerof10.info|accessdate=16 February 2014}} While at Cardiff, he began to concentrate more on his sprinting competing in the 60m and 100m events.{{cite web|url=http://www.teamgb.com/athletes/ben-simons |title=Ben Simons|accessdate=16 February 2014|publisher=bobteamgb.org}} He achieved some success as a sprinter, becoming Welsh 60m champion.{{cite web|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/other-sport/bobsleigh-ace-ben-simons-reveals-6557319|title=Bobsleigh ace Ben Simons reveals journey from university noticeboard to Winter Olympics|date=23 January 2014|publisher=walesonline.co.uk|accessdate=16 February 2014}} Simons attended William Brookes School.
In 2012 while at UWIC he replied to an advert from British Bobsleigh who were searching for 'future Olympians'. He was accepted into the team, and was soon competing at international level. It was announced on 22 January 2014 that Simons would be competing in the bobsleigh for Great Britain at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, in the four-man bobsleigh; racing in the second team (GBR2) along with John Baines, Craig Pickering and pilot Lamin Deen. Commenting on the news, Simons said that "It means the world to me to be selected to compete for Team GB at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games".{{cite web | url=http://www.shropshirestar.com/sport/2014/01/22/shropshires-ben-simons-in-great-britains-bobsleigh-team-for-winter-olympics/ | title=Shropshire's Ben Simons in Great Britain's bobsleigh team for Winter Olympics | work=Shropshire Star | date=22 January 2014 | accessdate=16 February 2014}} It was his debut Olympics.
In the process of qualification for GBR2, Simons said that there was a nervous tension, but that they got through to competing at the Olympics.{{cite web | url=http://www.welshathletics.org/news--media/news/news-area/2014/january-2014/welsh-sprinter-simons-eyes-bobsleigh-success-in-sochi.aspx | title=Welsh sprinter Simons eyes bobsleigh success in Sochi | work=Welsh Athletics | date=January 2014 | accessdate=16 February 2014}} In the run-up to the 2014 Olympics, Pickering was forced to pull out of the event due to a back injury and was replaced at short notice by Andrew Matthews.{{cite web|url=http://www1.skysports.com/winter-olympics/news/29996/9177782/winter-olympics--team-gb-name-andrew-matthews-in-bobsleigh-team-|title=Winter Olympics: Team GB name Andrew Matthews in bobsleigh team|accessdate=26 February 2014|publisher=skysports.com}} In the finals GBR2 finished in nineteenth place.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/winter-olympics/23970242|title=Sochi 2014: Four-man bobsleigh results|date=23 February 2014|accessdate=26 February 2014|publisher=BBC Sport}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IBSF}}
- {{Olympics.com profile|ben-simons}}
- {{Olympedia}}
- {{Team GB}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simons, Ben}}
Category:Sportspeople from Shropshire
Category:Olympic bobsledders for Great Britain
Category:British male bobsledders
Category:Bobsledders at the 2014 Winter Olympics