LAKE PLACID—The Germans, of all people, learned some lessons in bobsledding — and tailgating — from the United States four-man team and a hundred or so Buffalonians Sunday at the world championships on Mount Van Hoevenberg.

The American sled, which was driven by Steven Holcomb of Park City, Utah, and included Buffalo native and City Honors High graduate Steve Mesler as one its push-athletes, ended a 50-year drought for the U. S. in the event. it was the first victory for the United States in the four-man at world championships since Arthur Tyler won at St. Moritz, Switzerland, in 1959. That was a year before the election of John F. Kennedy.

“To do it the way we did, to win it by almost a second, which is unheard of, and beat the Germans and to win it at home in a town which loves bobsledding is unbelievable,” said Mesler.

Long after the race ended, Mesler was celebrating with family, teammates and friends from Buffalo at Zig Zag, a bobsled hangout. The bar is named after a treacherous turn near the bottom of the old Mount Van Hoevenberg course.

“We pretty much stamped ourselves in the history of the town,” Mesler proclaimed proudly. The 30-year-old was a pentathlete in high school and at the University of Florida and didn’t take up bobsledding until 2001.

Mesler grew up on Buffalo’s West Side. His parents, Ben and Lois, and a Buffalo following that has grown now to 100 or so, partied in the parking lots before and after the competition to the amazement of the Germans, and European television crews and athletes.

“The Germans didn’t know anything about tailgating,” Mesler said, “But they all came over with their sausauge and beer and joined in.”

Holcomb’s sled beat defending champion Andre Lange of Germany by nearly one second, an eye-popping margin, finishing with a time of 3 minutes, 36.61 seconds. Janis Minins of Latvia took the bronze, one full second behind Holcomb.

Sliding first Sunday with the pressure of history on their shoulders and the clang of cowbells ringing in their ears as fans screamed encouragement up at the start house, Holcomb and his crew of Mesler, Justin Olsen and brakeman Curtis Tomasevicz had a fast start — 4.99 seconds — to gain an immediate edge and rocketed through the 20-curve course, reaching a speed of just over 80 mph, to finish in 53.78 seconds on the first of the day’s two runs. That was a quarter of a second faster than USA-1’s top run Saturday and just 0.11 off the track record by Lange six years ago. Only a few sleds have ever crossed the finish line in under 54 seconds.

It sent yet another message it was Holcomb’s race to lose.

Holcomb’s sled completed the domination with a run of 54.30 in the finale.

Sunday, Holcomb’s team powered off the starting block — this is where push athletes Mesler and Olsen have the greatest impact — in 4.99 and 5.01 seconds, second and third fastest of the day.

Mesler, who at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds is the lightest on the U. S. sled, is counted on for his speed at pushoff.

“I had no doubt that I could do my part really well but if we all don’t, it doesn’t matter,” Mesler said. “Being the eldest guy on the team, in these situations I have to make sure to keep the team together along the drive and make sure everybody is ready to go.”

Sunday, they were more than ready.

Associated Press reports included.