James Morgan's brother John, furthest left, Geoff Bodine, second left, Steve Mesler, second right, and Randy Jones, furthest right, were among six people officially inducted into the USABS Hall of Fame more than two years after it was announced due to COV

A group of five athletes and one bobsled builder have been officially inducted into the USA Bobsled/Skeleton (USABS) Hall of Fame - more than two years after their entry was announced.

Push athlete Steve Mesler helped the United States to win an Olympic gold medal in four-man bobsleigh gold at Vancouver 2010, having triumphed in the same event at the World Championships in Lake Placid the previous year.

He earned a US record 39 International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation World Cup medals throughout his career.

Tristan Gale Geisler became the first women's skeleton Olympic champion at Salt Lake City 2002, while Randy Jones was a four-man bobsleigh silver medallist at the same Games, helping the country to earn its first podium finish in men's bobsleigh since 1956 in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Vonetta Flowers won gold in the two-woman bobsleigh at Salt Lake City 2002 with Jill Bakken, becoming the first African-American Winter Olympic champion in any sport.

Vonetta Flowers, left, won a historic two-woman bobsleigh gold for the US at the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics ©Getty Images
Vonetta Flowers, left, won a historic two-woman bobsleigh gold for the US at the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics ©Getty Images

James "Nitro" Morgan competed in bobsleigh in the mid-1970s, and is the only American to have been killed in an international bobsleigh competition at the 1981 World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

His brother John Morgan was calling the competition as a commentator, and had already been inducted into the USABS Hall of Fame.

John Morgan received the award on James' behalf.

Retired motorsport driver Geoff Bodine co-created the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project with Bob Cuneo, with its bobsleds first used by the US team at the Lillehammer 1994 Winter Olympics.

The six individuals were originally announced as entrants to the Hall of Fame in December 2020, but their official ceremony at Mount Van Hoevenberg took place more than two years later due to COVID-19 restrictions.

James Morgan, the only US bobsledder to be killed in competition at an event where his brother John was commentating, was among those inducted into the USA Bobsled/Skeleton Hall of Fame ©Twitter
James Morgan, the only US bobsledder to be killed in competition at an event where his brother John was commentating, was among those inducted into the USA Bobsled/Skeleton Hall of Fame ©Twitter

USABS chief executive Aron McGuire praised the inductees for their achievements.

"These six people had a tremendous impact on our sports, and we are honoured to recognise their achievements as the newest members of the USABS Hall of Fame," McGuire said.

"Our current success is thanks to the hard work, dedication, and success of the people that have come before us and who’ve paved the way for the future.

"We are grateful for their involvement in their sports, their contributions to the team, and their legacies on and off the ice."

This was the eighth class of the USABS' Hall of Fame, which now has 28 members.

It aims to honour individuals who have made a significant contribution to bobsleigh or skeleton.