Winter Sports

I will miss it: Lamin Deen reflects on glittering bobsleigh career

Army soldier Lamin Deen has spoken of his decision to announce his retirement from bobsleigh after a glittering fifteen-year career in the sport.

Having competed at the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics, as well as bagging a historic World Cup gold medal in 2017, Lance Sergeant Deen is one of the most successful military bobsleigh pilots to compete on the world stage.

Speaking to BFBS, LSgt Deen said he feels "quite lucky" to be able to call time on his bobsleigh career.

He said: "Not many athletes get to call time on their own career, usually it is injury or lack of performance.

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"But to leave at the top of the sport and, you know, 15 years is a long time, let alone in the sport of bobsleigh, which is gruelling every single day, it's tough.

"I have got so much admiration for the men and women that compete in that sport, every day you're voluntarily throwing yourself off a mountain with a high chance of not making it to the bottom.

"It is a fantastic sport, and I'll miss it, I'll miss the people, my teammates, the coaches and individuals from around the world who I've got on with for so many years."

A Grenadier Guard, LSgt Deen's bobsleigh career started when he was spotted competing in the 200m sprint finals at an Army inter-unit competition in Aldershot in 2007.

After narrowly missing out on selection for the 2010 Winter Olympics, he switched from brakeman to driver and made his Olympic debut in Sochi 2014, finishing 19th in his favoured 44-man event and 23rd in the two-man competition.

With the Armed Forces known for producing successful bobsleigh athletes, LSgt Deen was joined by the likes of Private Nick Gleeson at the 2018 Winter Olympics, who also competed in the bobsleigh events.

Speaking about how the military helped his progression in the sport, LSgt Deen said: "When I first joined it was like going from the ranks of the Grenadier Guards to the ranks of bobsleigh.

"It was military, it was seamless for me and my progression to the top was made easy by that because it was normality," he added.