NORTH Yorkshire's John Baines helped Great Britain's second string four-man bobsleigh team to take a share of 18th place on day one of the competition at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Baines was joined in the GBR2 four-man bob by pilot Lamin Deen, plus Andrew Matthews and Ben Simons.
The quartet are equal 18th after the first two runs. They were 19th after a first run of 55.91 seconds, but moved up a place after posting 55.60 second time out.
Brakeman Baines, who lives in Topcliffe near Thirsk, said: "We always aim to be within a tenth of the world’s best on the start. That was our aim and we met it."
The GBR1 team go into the final two runs on Sunday in seventh place after briefly leading the competition during the second run.
Baines and Deen competed in the two-man bobsleigh last week, finishing 23rd.
On the difference between the two events, Baines said: "Being on the back of the sled in the two-man, it is almost individual because the driver does his thing and you get in the back of that sled and just hit it as hard as you can.
"Whereas, in the four-man, the guys in the back work together and push together."
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